AAP MLA from Delhi Cantonment area Surinder Singh, arrested for allegedly assaulting an NDMC worker, today questioned jurisdiction of a court here to deal with the case lodged under the SC/ST Act and sought bail.
Singh, his driver Pankaj and assistant Praveen, who were arrested yesterday, were produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha.
The police demanded that they be remanded to judicial custody in the case.
The police alleged that Singh has misused his position and had assaulted New Delhi Municipal Council(NDMC) beldar Mukesh and had also used casteist remarks against him.
The police said that the MLA and the two other accused be sent to judicial custody as witnesses in the case have been threatened and the allegations against them were grave and severe.
Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, who appeared for Singh, questioned the jurisdiction of the court to deal with the case saying it did not have the power to hear the matter lodged under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Gupta also alleged that the police was trying to find out grounds to arrest the MLA.
Seeking bail for the accused, the defence counsel referred to the service of Singh saying being an NSG commando he served the nation during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and had also sustained serious injuries at that time.
The court, after hearing the submissions, reserved its order for 4.15 PM.
On August 4, Surinder Singh was booked for allegedly beating and manhandling an NDMC worker in Tughlaq road area when a team of NDMC officials was doing routine check and had apprehended an e-rickshaw driver to check his documents.
Singh is the third AAP MLA who has been arrested in the last two months. Former Delhi Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar was held in a fake educational degree case in June and Kondli legislator Manoj Kumar was apprehended in July.
