Delhi cops arrest AAP MLA in land grabbing case

In an embarrassment for ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, its MLA Manoj Kumar was on Thursday arrested by police in connection with a case of alleged cheating and land grabbing -- the second arrest of a party lawmaker in a month.

Kumar, MLA from Kondli in East Delhi, was questioned in New Ashok Vihar Police station in connection with the case and later arrested.

“We have arrested him in a case of cheating. The case was registered in New Ashok Vihar Police station,” Joint Commissioner of Police, Eastern Range, Sanjay Beniwal said.

He said the MLA has been charged under Section 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine forged document, 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code.

Kumar is the second AAP lawmaker to be arrested by the police. On June 9, the then Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar was arrested on charges of possessing fake degrees. Tomar had later resigned from the Cabinet and has been in judicial custody.

Investigators said a case of cheating was registered against Kumar last year.

“This is an old matter related to land fraud,” Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said.

A case of cheating was registered against Kumar following allegations that he duped his business partner Vinod of Rs 6 lakh.

Vinod had alleged in his complaint to the police that Manoj used to work as a property dealer before venturing into politics.

Vinod claimed that he was Manoj’s business partner and had given Rs six lakh to him to purchase a plot in November 2012 but he did not repay the amount.