Slapgate row: Case filed against AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj, Jarnail Singh and 1 more for ‘assault on cop’ amid protest

Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the police official in question had been “planted” to create a disturbance.

Delhi Police on Tuesday filed a case against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh and party worker Saheb Singh - who was slapped on Sunday by Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Verma - among others for allegedly assaulting a head constable during a demonstration in Tilak Nagar on Monday evening, officials said.

Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi Saurabh Bharadwaj, along with MLA Jarnail Singh and party supporters, outside Delhi Police Headquarters to demand the registration of an FIR against Parvesh Verma. (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo)

The incident, which was captured on camera by bystanders, took place as Bharadwaj, Jarnail Singh, Saheb Singh and other AAP leaders and workers were walking towards Tilak Nagar police station to file a complaint over Sunday’s incident. A man in a green T-shirt, whom police identified as a head constable in plainclothes, can be seen walking ahead of the group before being roughed up by some of the AAP leaders.

The video loses track of the policeman and the group for several seconds as the camera shakes.

Bharadwaj claims people ‘planted’

The incident occurred on Monday when former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal visited Tilak Nagar to demand an FIR against Verma for slapping Saheb Singh, who works with Jarnail Singh’s media team.

Bharadwaj alleged that the police official in question had been “planted” to create a disturbance. “This man along with another few entered our crowd, behaved like goons and started hurling casteist abuses to our councillor. They were physically assaulting our people without any provocation. We handed them to police. We have all the videos. Does he look like a policeman?” he posted on X.

He further alleged that the men were “planted by police to create riot-like situation” and claimed they were part of a conspiracy to create communal tensions.

FIR against Verma, BJP claims AAP attempting to ‘distract’

On Monday, Delhi Police had lodged a non-cognisable report (NCR) against Verma on charges of causing hurt for allegedly slapping Saheb Singh. Police also registered an FIR against Jarnail Singh based on a complaint by a PWD official, who alleged that the MLA had visited a roadwork site on September 24, tried to forcefully stop the work and “illegally demanded money”. Sunday’s incident took place while Verma was inspecting roadworks in west Delhi’s Vikaspuri.

On Tuesday afternoon, Bharadwaj, Jarnail Singh and other AAP leaders and workers were detained briefly by police near Delhi Police headquarters, where they had gathered to demand an FIR against Verma. “The police only want to listen to BJP ministers and give them security. For us, there are only detentions,” Bharadwaj said.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, meanwhile, termed the protest by AAP leaders an attempt by Bharadwaj to “divert the attention of people” from the “questionable record” of Jarnail Singh.