Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested by the Delhi Police on Sunday on charges of allegedly threatening a woman and manipulating the evidence.
The case was filed against Khan by a 35-year-old woman on July 20 for allegedly threatening her with dire consequences after she visited his residence on July 10 to complain about the poor electricity supply in South Delhi's Batla House locality. A supporter of the MLA allegedly abused and threatened to get her raped and killed. The woman said in her complaint that the supporter allegedly abused her on the "orders of Khan".
Khan has, however, said that he was in Meerut on July 9 and 10, according to IANS.
"We have arrested the legislator on Sunday morning as the complainant again informed the police that he was threatening her and also trying to manipulate the evidences... We will produce him in court on Sunday," Rajeev Ranjan, additional deputy commissioner of police (south east), told reporters.
An FIR has been registered under IPC sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) at the Jamia Nagar Police Station in south Delhi.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Convener lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the arrest. "Just in - Modi ji arrests one more AAP MLA," he said in a tweet.
The party, however, rubbished all allegations on Saturday saying that the police had "pressurised" the woman to make false statements against Khan.
The AAP released a video footage at a press conference that showed the woman talking to someone. She is heard saying "that the SHO of the Jamia Nagar Police Station had asked her to add allegations of getting her raped and killed in the FIR."
Khan claimed that the woman also gave a false statement accusing him of trying to crush her under his car.
"The woman is in touch with several BJP leaders and she was also taken to the magistrate by a lawyer affiliated to the party... The video also states that the police asked her to file the complaint. The allegations of rape have also been added at the behest of the police as an FIR would not have been possible otherwise," Khan had said.