AAP MLA Sharad Chauhan arrested over party activist Soni's alleged suicide

In connection to the alleged suicide of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) woman activist Soni, Delhi police crime branch on Saturday arrested AAP MLA from Narela Sharad Chauhan. According to ANI, Chauhan was arrested with seven others including previous investigating officer probing the suicide, taking the total number of arrested party leaders to 12.

AAP worker suicide: AAP MLA Sharad Chauhan along with 7 others arrested including previous investigating officer probing suicide of a woman

— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2016

Both Chauhan and the main accused Ramesh Bhardwaj, also an AAP party worker, were questioned by the police for several hours in the past four days.

Soni, a party worker, had consumed poisonous substance at her home in North-West Delhi’s Narela and died during treatment at LNJP Hospital on July 19, after alleging harassment by Bhardwaj. In her complaint, she had alleged that Bhardwaj had asked her for sexual favours.

Her family had claimed that she had gone into depression after her molester was released on bail.

The police had registered a case against Bhardwaj on 20 July and arrested him a day after. He, however, got bail the next day and also got a court stay on his arrest.

In a Whatsapp video, Soni had claimed, “I was denied justice”.

Meanwhile, AAP party workers have expressed their grievance over the recent arrests of AAP MLAs. Slamming the Narendra Modi government at Centre, AAP spokesperson Ashutosh took to Twitter and attacked the Union government for arresting AAP leaders.

A total of 12 AAP leaders have been arrested up till now.

He accused the Modi government of not appreciating the initiatives taken by the Delhi government and instead sending AAP MLAs to jail.

Another AAP MLA arrested.Has Modi gone mad?Has he lost his mental balance? If PM acts with such anger/vengeance then is country safe!

— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) July 31, 2016

Great initiatives are taken by Delhi govt in education-health instead of praising Modi is sending AAP MLA jail.Is country safe in his hands?

— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) July 31, 2016

In the past few weeks various AAP leaders have been arrested by police including Okhla legislator,  Amanatullah Khan, who was arrested for threatening a woman. The BJP has claimed that AAP has an “anti-woman character”.

With inputs from agencies