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Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Najeeb Jung on Tuesday ordered the arrest of Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar, on the grounds that the minister had a fake law degree. A city court remanded the minister to four days in police custody after the Delhi Police alleged that all of Tomar's educational certificates relating to his law degree were "fabricated". The police had acted on a complaint given by Bar Council of Delhi. Aam Aadmi Party spokesman Deepak Bajpai said late evening Tomar had resigned.
Meanwhile, L-G Jung rejected the Delhi government's decision to transfer Home Secretary Dharam Pal even as the Union home ministry withdrew its order appointing Joint Commissioner of Police Mukesh Meena as chief of Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), after the Delhi government refused to comply with the order saying there was no such post.
On Tuesday morning, Tomar was first asked to accompany the police for questioning but later made to get out of his vehicle and driven in a police van to the police station.
He would be appealing against his arrest in Delhi High Court. The Delhi government said the arrest was reminiscent of the 1975 Emergency. The Delhi police chief said he had no information about the arrest, leading to speculation L-G Jung had bypassed him to order the arrest. However, a senior police officer confirmed receiving L-G's permission for the arrest.
Even so, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said procedures were not followed as he was not informed about Tomar's arrest. The police, however, refuted this.
Tomar was booked under sections related to cheating and fraud after a university in Bhagalpur, Bihar, told a city court he was not a student there though he had presented a degree purportedly issued by the institution. The police claimed it had sought Tomar's time and asked him to join the investigation on several occasions but the latter had not made himself available.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members and supporters took to Twitter, demanding the arrest of Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani, against whom a First Information Report has been registered with regard to the veracity of her educational qualifications. The matter is pending in court, with Irani herself refusing to clear the air, alleging it was a conspiracy to defame her.
The arrest has hit at the heart of AAP's claim - that it is a party different from all others when it comes to the credibility of members and office-bearers. In fact, Yogendra Yadav, the erstwhile AAP leader who was thrown out, said as much when he tweeted that the issue was not of legality and legal processes but that AAP had compromised with basic principles after it came to power in Delhi.
Earlier in the day, AAP had transferred Delhi's Home Secretary Dharam Pal. This might not stand legal scrutiny because L-G alone is empowered to appoint and transfer officials in the national capital. The Delhi government's action was in the wake of Meena's appointment, an Indian Police Service officer of the 1989 batch currently in charge of the New Delhi Range as joint commissioner, as the ACB chief. By evening, the L-G rejected the transfer order.
Sukesh Kumar Jain, secretary and director (vigilance) at the Directorate of Vigilance, wrote to Meena on Tuesday moments after he had assumed charge: "The post of additional commissioner of police of ACB is at present occupied. As there is no sanctioned post, you cannot take charge or hold a non-existent post. I am, therefore, directed to ask you to revert to the Delhi Police." By evening, the home ministry had withdrawn Meena's appointment.
The AAP government reacted cautiously, "wary of repeating the mistakes of Rail Bhavan dharna". Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that "because of actions against corrupt people by ACB, they (Centre) were acting vindictively against them" and members of Legislative Assembly denounced Tomar's arrest. AAP said it would not resort to 'dharna' politics again, as Tomar's arrest had already cast a cloud on the party's transparency claims.
Meanwhile, L-G Jung issued a statement refuting allegations that Tomar's arrest was in retaliation to the reopening of the CNG fitness scam probe and defended his decision of not ordering a probe.
