Police on Wednesday detained Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amantullah Khan and questioned the Delhi chief minister's adviser VK Jain for three hours in connection with an alleged assault on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, officials said.
Khan, the Okhla MLA, was picked up from Jamia Nagar around 11.30 am on the basis of an FIR against him, Delhi Police DCP Madhur Verma told reporters.
A Delhi Police spokesman, Dependra Pathak, said Jain was questioned at the Civil Lines Police station where an FIR has been registered on the complaint by Prakash.
"He may be called again for questioning," Pathak said.
Prakash claims to have been assaulted on Monday night at Chief Minister Arvind Kejrirwal's resdience during an official meeting.
He says Jain informed him about the meeting earlier Monday.
The chief secretary was allegedly assaulted by Khan and others during the meeting.
The agenda of the meeting remains controversial, with Prakash claiming he was questioned about the AAP government's media publicity while the AAP functionaries say he was called to discuss complaints on ration distribution.
The chief secretary in his complaint alleged that the assault was "premeditated" and a "conspiracy" of all those present.
Police has filed the FIR including the charge of criminal conspiracy in it.
AAP MLA from Deoli, Prakash Jarwal, who was detained on Tuesday nught, has been arrested, said Pathak.
The chief secretary had alleged in his complaint that he was sitting on a sofa flanked by Amantullah and another AAP MLA during the meeting.
"Khan and the other MLA, without provocation from my side started hitting and assaulting me with blows on my head and temple," he alleged in his complaint.
Meanwhile, the Delhi high court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea seeking immediate judicial intervention into the alleged assault incident.
The plea was mentioned for urgent hearing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar which said the police was already looking into the incident and it would wait for the final outcome.
"They (police) will take action in accordance with law. We will wait for the final outcome," the bench said, adding that both sides have a different story according to media reports.
Advocate K S Wahi, in his plea, sought judicial intervention on the ground that people of the city would suffer if "elected (MLAs) and selected (bureaucrats)" fight among themselves.
"Both the representatives have to work in accordance with the rules made for Delhi with regard to its functioning and administration," the counsel submitted.
The counsel urged the court for intervention, saying the alleged assault was premeditated and a "conspiracy" of all present with the motive to deter the bureaucrat from discharging his lawful duty.
Top Delhi government bureaucrats from IAS and DANICS cadres came to work on Wednesday with black ribbons on their arms to protest against the alleged attack by AAP MLAs on the Delhi government chief secretary.
On Tuesday, bureaucrats decided to boycott meetings called by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues until the chief minister apologises.
There are around 70 IAS officers and 400 Delhi and Andaman Nicobar Island Civil Services officers working with the Delhi government.
The associations of the two cadres have said they would not go on strike as that would cause inconvenience to citizens.
Image: Media personnel outside Delhi Secretariat in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo
