HC grants bail to AAP MLA Jarnail Singh in assault case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Jarnail Singh who is 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 who had initially obtained interim protection from arrest on May 18, which was extended time and again till today.

The court lifted the interim protection and granted him the relief while declining the 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)?"

The court's order came on the plea of the MLA from Tilak Nagar who had moved the high court after the trial court had May 2 refused to grant him anticipatory bail.

The legislator has been booked for allegedly assaulting MCD staff 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.