Delhi Court denies bail to AAP MLAs, says they are 'history-sheeters'

A Delhi court refused to grant bail to two AAP MLAs, accused of physically assaulting the Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, on Friday stating that "prima facie it points towards premeditated criminal conspiracy".

Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon dismissed the bail applications of Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan and Deoli MLA Prakash Jarwal stating that the allegations are "serious" in nature.

The court held that the applications for bail cannot be considered "routine" and "casual" as the accused are "history-sheeters".

"The circumstances, if looked at overall, prima facie points towards premeditated criminal conspiracy. Though bail is the rule and jail is an exception, however, the applications of the present applicants cannot be considered in a routine and casual manner, as they are history sheeters," the court said.

The court also stated since the complainant's version had been backed up by a witness it could not be dismissed without a "cogent reason." On Thursday, AAP members, along with the CM, had to face a major embarrassment when the adviser to the CM VK Jain, agreed that he had seen the MLAs assaulting the CS.

"The version of the complainant is corroborated by statement of VK Jain recorded on oath under section 164 CrPC and the MLC of the complainant. Hence, at this stage, it cannot be looked at with suspicion without any cogent reason or evidence to the contrary,"it said

The MLAs will now continue to stay in Tihar jail and will produced at the end of their 14-day judicial custody.

The court also rejected a fresh application by the police seeking custody of the accused after VK Jain admitted he had seen the MLAs assaulting the Chief Secretary.