AAP legislator Yadav in 2-day police remand

SANGRUR: A Malerkotla court sent Naresh Yadav, the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Mehrauli in Delhi, to police remand for two days in connection with the last month’s Quran sacrilege.

Yadav, who was arrested from Delhi on Sunday, was presented in the court amid tight security on Monday. The police sought a week’s remand, but the court gave only two days for his interrogation. AAP leader and advocate Himmat Singh Shergill opposed the police plea for remand, saying Yadav had already been questioned twice. However, the public prosecutor said custodial interrogation was needed as accused didn’t cooperate during the questioning earlier. AAP PROTESTS OUTSIDE DC OFFICES TODAY

With Yadav, who is co-incharge of party’s Punjab affairs, in police custody, the Aam Aadmi Party has decided to launch an agitation against the Punjab government, apart from approaching the high court seeking an independent probe. The AAP has announced to stage protests outside the deputy commissioners’ offices across state on Tuesday.

“Yadav has been framed under a political conspiracy at the instance of a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) man. AAP will fight this battle politically as well as legally,” said Sanjay Singh, AAP’s Punjab affairs in-charge.

“Whatever is being done with the AAP MLA is under a conspiracy to malign the party and it is not correct,” he said outside the court.

“Akali government is trying to intimidate us through Naresh Yadav. I want to tell the Badal government that we won’t be scared with all this. Level allegations, put us behind bars, we will not be scared. Our fight will continue. It is a matter of five months, after that, Punjab will throw out Badal Pvt Ltd,” Sanjay said.

He said deputy CM Sukhbir Badal was conspiring against Yadav at the behest of the RSS. “To oppose the arrest of Yadav, AAP will hold protests outside all deputy commissioners’ offices in Punjab on Tuesday. Besides, a legal team will move high Court to highlight injustice being meted out to Yadav,” he said, adding protests will be intensified with each passing day.

Balkar Singh Singh, DIG, said they have enough evidence against Yadav. “On the day of the crime, 13 calls were exchanged between Yadav and another accused Vijay Kumar, who allegedly executed the sacrilege,” the DIG said. He said the MLA had also confessed to his “intimacy” with Vijay Kumar for over 16 years.

The DIG said police have evidence that Vijay met Yadav at latter’s house in Delhi before the crime was committed. He said Vijay had recorded his confessional statement.

The Police has seized the laptop of Naresh Yadav. It will be sent to the forensic laboratory to recover the deleted files. “It seems that Yadav had deleted the data from his laptop,” police said.

A team of senior officials, including IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal, will question the accused on Tuesday.