Sandeep Kumar was arrested on rape charges. (File Photo)
Sacked Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar, arrested on rape charges, today approached a Delhi court seeking a separate van for his production from jail to court apprehending threat to life from supporters of other political parties during transportation.
The plea was filed before Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry who fixed the application for hearing on Tuesday when Mr Kumar would be produced from jail on expiry of his 14-day judicial custody.
Advocate Pradeep Rana, representing the AAP legislator, claimed in the plea that it was a politically motivated case and some miscreants may try to harm Mr Kumar in the jail van.
"Since the inception of the present FIR, the matter has been in public eye and the applicant (Sandeep Kumar) apprehends that being a politically motivated case, the supporters of other political parties or a miscreant might try to harm him.
"Jail/police authorities may be directed to provide for a special separate van or separate armed guard (SAG) for attending the court proceedings on the given dates or allow him to mark his appearance through video conferencing," the plea said.
It said the legislator feared that some untoward incident may occur with him at the time of his appearance before the court and "that on previous occasion the proceedings against him were marred by undue controversies with the apparent aim to hog the limelight."
Mr Kumar, who is in judicial custody till Tuesday, was arrested on September 3 after a woman approached Sultanpuri police station in North Delhi complaining of sexual harassment against the ex-Social Welfare and Women and Child Development minister, following which a case was filed. The woman had allegedly figured in an objectionable video with him.
He has been booked under sections 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence) of IPC, under section 67A (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) of IT Act and Section 7 (public servant taking gratification for an official act) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The legislator from Sultanpur Majra was removed from AAP government on August 31 by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the CD surfaced. He had defended himself saying he had been targeted.