AAP MLA Naresh Yadav sent to police custody for two days in sacrilege case

Malerkotla: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Yadav was on Monday remanded in police custody for two days by a local court in connection with an incident of alleged sacrilege in Malerkotla last month, a day after the Delhi legislator was arrested in the case by Punjab police. [caption id=“attachment_2870908” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] AAP MLA Naresh Yadav. Image courtesy: @MLA_NareshYadav/Twitter[/caption] Malerkotla Additional Civil Judge Preeti Sukheja sent Yadav to two days’ police custody after he was produced before her by police. Punjab Police had on Sunday night arrested Yadav who was booked in connection with the alleged sacrilege incident on 24 June in Malerkotla after one of the accused arrested in connection with the case claimed he had acted at the behest of the AAP MLA. He has been charged with IPC sections 109 (punishment for abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295 (injury or defiling place of worship with an intent to insult the religion of any class). Yadav had described the police action against him as a “conspiracy.” Police had claimed that Vijay had met the MLA before the incident and calls were also exchanged between them. The Mehrauli MLA and his party have denied the charges and alleged it was a “political conspiracy” to malign AAP’s image ahead of Assembly polls in Punjab. Meanwhile, AAP’s Punjab incharge Sanjay Singh condemned the arrest of MLA. “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. He announced that the party will stage protest across Punjab for three hours in front of the offices of the Deputy Commissioners to protest the arrest of its MLA.