The Delhi High Court today extended till December 15 the interim protection from arrest granted to AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, who has been accused of assaulting an MCD engineer and preventing him from demolishing an illegal structure in West Delhi.
Justice Indermeet Kaur extended the relief to Singh which was initially granted on May 18, while declining Delhi Police's request for dismissal of the legislator's plea for anticipatory bail.
The court asked "how it will make difference if the MLA's petition is rejected and he be handed to you (police)".
In any case, he has been asked to cooperate in the investigation and he is also joining the same, the court said, while extending the interim order granting him protection from arrest till December 15.
The court further said that the police can call him to the police station every day "till the time your investigation into the matter is pending."
The court's interim order was extended on the plea of the MLA from Tilak Nagar constituency who had moved the high court after the trial court on May 2 had refused to grant him anticipatory bail.
The legislator has been booked for allegedly assaulting Athar Mustaffa and preventing him from carrying out his duty when the latter and his team had gone to demolish an illegal construction in West Delhi on April 28.
An FIR was lodged after the police received a complaint from the engineer.
Senior advocate H S Phoolka while defending the MLA had contended that his client has been falsely implicated in the case at the behest of his political rivals.
On the basis of Mustaffa's complaint, police had slapped section 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC against Singh.
