36-year-old man who slapped NCP chief Sharad Pawar in 2011 arrested

A man who had allegedly slapped NCP chief Sharad Pawar at a public function in 2011 and disappeared during the course of trial has been arrested again by the police, officials said on Wednesday.

Arvinder Singh alias Harvinder Singh (36), was first arrested in 2011 but he disappeared during the course of trial following which he was declared a 'proclaimed offender' by the Patiala House Court on March 29, 2014.

Singh, a resident of northwest Delhi's Swaroop Nagar, was arrested again on Monday.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, who was then the Agriculture Minister in the Congress-led UPA government, was slapped by Singh at the NDMC Convention Hall in New Delhi on November 24, 2011, police said.

Police teams visited Singh's native village several times to trace him but he quietly shifted to unknown locations. He was arrested after the police got inputs on his location, the police said.

"A case was registered against Singh at Connaught Place police station for assaulting Sharad Pawar. Singh was arrested in connection with the case and was facing trial," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal.

However, he disappeared during the course of trial, the DCP said.

Singh, was produced before a local court and has been sent to judicial custody till November 25, police said.

Singh is also involved in another case of assault and was declared a proclaimed offender in that as well, he added.

A case was registered against Singh in 2012 at Parliament Street police station for assaulting a police constable on duty at Jantar Mantar.

He disappeared during the course of that trial and was declared a proclaimed offender by the Patiala House Court on April 20, 2019, the DCP said.