AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan held for sexual harassment

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested by the Delhi Police on Wednesday on charges of sexual harassment.

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested by the Delhi Police on Wednesday on charges of sexual harassment.

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This is the second time within three months when the legislator from Okhla constituency has been arrested. Khan was previously arrested on July 24 on allegations of molestation.

On Sunday afternoon, Khan had gone to the Jamia Nagar police station with his supporters, claiming that he had come to surrender. Khan was not arrested and asked to go home by the investigating officer.

The MLA had told reporters outside the police station that the Delhi Police were under pressure to arrest him but didn’t do so because of public pressure.

According to police, Khan was called to the district DCP’s office on Wednesday morning to join investigation. After questioning him for an hour, he was detained and formally arrested. “In the FIR registered against him, his sister-in-law had alleged she was sexually harassed. There are allegations of dowry harassment. He was arrested after detailed questioning,” said DCP (southeast) MS Randhawa.

According to the FIR filed by Khan’s relative, he had pressured her to get into a physical relationship with him. She had also alleged that her husband (related to Khan) allegedly demanded dowry on Khan’s behest.

Following the woman’s complaint, a case had been registered against him at the Jamia Nagar police station.

Khan was earlier arrested by the police on July 24 for allegedly threatening a woman with rape and murder. The woman, who had gone to his house to discuss the issue of power cuts, had alleged Khan’s men stalked her and threatened to kidnap her children.

She alleged that Khan tried to run her over with his car. Khan had denied the charges and called it a conspiracy to frame him in “false” cases.

A few hours before his relative pressed sexual harassment charges against him, the Okhla MLA had resigned from the post of Waqf Board chairman citing conspiracy. The AAP government, however, refused to accept it.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had said that an internal inquiry revealed that it was a family dispute, which was being given a political colour.