Sandeep Kumar to get guard, separate cell at Tihar Jail

A Delhi court has directed the Tihar Jail authority to provide a special armed guard and a separate cell to expelled AAP MLA and former Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar, arrested for raping a 40-year-old woman on the pretext of helping her get a ration card, after the defence counsel argued that he was an active practicing advocate and elected member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. Mr Kumar was produced before special judge Poonam Chaudhary after the expiry of his police remand. He was remanded into 14 days judicial custody after the police told the court that he was not required for further interrogation.

Pradeep Rana, who was appearing for Mr Kumar moved a plea before the court seeking security for his client. He argued that there was threat to the life of his client. “My client needs security. He can be attacked anywhere by his political rivals,” Mr Rana argued. The court allowed his plea and directed the jail superintendent to provide him security and consider his plea as per Delhi jail manual.

Meanwhile, during the hearing the Delhi police said that the video clip in which Mr Kumar and the prosecutrix were in an intimate position was shown on YouTube. They requested the court to direct the minister of information technology to remove the link of the video. The court allowed their plea.

“In view of submissions made, direction is issued to the Director of Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, ministry of electronics and information technology, the Government of India to block/ remove the above said links with immediate effect and compliance report be submitted to the investigating officer,” the court noted in its order. Mr Kumar’s counsel Rana, denied that it was his client who was seen in the objectionable videos.

The victim has said that she had gone to meet Mr Kumar for an issue related to her ration card. She was then offered a cold drink laced with sedatives. She said that after having the cold drink she lost consciousness and Kumar raped her. After registering the case the police had arrested Kumar on 4 September.