AAP MLA Mohaniya arrested for sexual harassment, sent to jail

AAP legislator Dinesh Mohaniya was on Saturday arrested on charges of "sexual harassment" on the complaint of a woman who visited his office-cum residence two days ago as part of a group to complain about irregular water supply, police said. A district court has sent the MLA to judicial custody till June 27.

Mohaniya, an MLA from Sangam Vihar constituency in south Delhi, was picked up by a team of Delhi Police while he was addressing a press conference at his residence in Sangam Vihar.

He has also been booked for misbehaviour, manhandling and touching a woman inappropriately on the woman's complaint.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA was taken to Neb Sarai Police station in south Delhi where a group of 10-12 women had registered a complaint against Mohaniya on Thursday.

Mohaniya was later produced before a duty magistrate in Saket court who directed he be sent to judicial custody till June 27.

"We have arrested Mohaniya today (Saturday) on charges of manhandling, sexual harassment, inappropriately touching a woman and trying to disrobe her modesty when she visited his office-cum residence along with a group of women to complain about water supply problem," Deputy Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh said.

Singh said that two of the women gave their statements that Mohaniya's associates touched one of them inappropriately with the intention to disrobe her modesty.

"Initially we had filed charges against Mohaniya under section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC which was levelled by the group of women in their complaint on Thursday," the officer said.

"Later we added sections 354 A (making sexually coloured remarks or an offence of sexual harassment) and 354 B (act with intent to disrobe the modesty of a woman) of the IPC after two of the women independently gave their statement," the officer said.

"Earlier we served two consequent notices to him (Mohaniya) on Friday evening and Saturday morning for joining police investigation following a complaint registered against him, which he refused to accept. We had to arrest him as he was not cooperating in the inquiry," the officer said.

The officer indicated the possibility of a few more arrests in the case.

On Friday a case was registered against Mohaniya, the vice chairman of Delhi Jal Board, for allegedly slapping a 60-year-old man in Tughlakabad area of south Delhi when he had gone to meet people distressed over the poor water supply in the area.

--IANS

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