Delhi ex-minister given armed guard, Tihar official tells court

The Tihar Jail authorities on Monday informed a court here that former Delhi Minister Sandeep Kumar, accused of raping a woman, has been provided with a separate armed guard as he apprehended threat to his life.

The submission by the jail authorities before Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry came on Kumar's plea for court directions for arrangement of a special van for him to attend court proceedings.

The court, meanwhile, extended the judicial custody of the sacked Minister till October 28 after he was presented in the court via video conferencing.

Kumar is standing trial on rape charge, which he claims is 'politically motivated'.

The former Social Welfare and Women and Child Development Minister in the Delhi government was arrested on September 3 after a woman approached the Sultanpuri police in north Delhi with a complaint of sexual harassment.

He was booked under Sections 376 (rape) and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, with intent to kill) of the Indian Penal Code.

Kumar was also charged under the Information Technology Act's Section 67-A (publishing or transmitting material containing sexually explicit act in electronic form) and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

--IANS

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