AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal moves court seeking anticipatory bail in doctor suicide case

A Delhi Court on Friday issued non-bailable warrant (NBW) against AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal in connection with the case of alleged suicide of a doctor in south Delhi's Durga Vihar last month.

A senior police official said that the NBW has been issued by Saket Court against the MLA and co-accused Kapil Nagar.

A 52-year-old doctor had allegedly committed suicide in Durga Vihar in south Delhi on April 18, holding Jarwal responsible in his suicide note, following which police had registered a case against the legislator on charges of extortion and abetment to suicide.

Jarwal, who represents Deoli assembly constituency, on Friday moved a Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in a case.

The court has put up the matter for hearing on May 11.

The application, filed through advocate Mohd Irshad, claimed that the MLA had no direct or indirect contact from the doctor in the recent past and the allegations in the FIR that he extorted money from the deceased and his family are false.

The plea claimed that Jarwal has become the sacrificial victim of an indefensible political vendetta amid urgent medical crisis emerging in the city.

He has been falsely implicated in the case and was willing to cooperate with the police in the investigation as when he will be called by them, it said.

It further said that Jarwal, being a public representative of the constituency Deoli, is looking after the relief measures being carried out by the Delhi Government due to Covid-19 pandemic.

In the FIR, it is alleged that the deceased was threatened, intimidated for extortion by the accused (Jarwal) and Kapil Nagar(co-accused).

The deceased was a doctor and also running the business of the water tanker in collaboration with Delhi Jal Board since 2005, the FIR said.

It is alleged in the FIR that since the accused used to extort money from the deceased on a monthly basis through his so called henchmen Kapil Nagar and other people. When the deceased refused to give the money to him, he allegedly threatened him and using the power he (accused) managed to get the tankers removed from the Delhi Jal Board and also used his influence to stop the payments of pending bills, the bail plea said.

The plea further said that Jarwal filed an RTI through his advocate in the Delhi Jal Board to know about the facts related to water tankers issue involved and its reply suggested that no water tanker has been engaged in the name of the deceased in the last one year, April-2019 till March 2020.

It is also apparent from the reply of RTI application that the tankers in the name of the deceased were disengaged due to the illegal acts of his own which was caught on camera in a sting operation... The allegation against the accused holds no water in the light of the blatant exposure of the illegal activity of the deceased, which may have been the compelling circumstances for the Delhi Jal Board authorities to take action against him," the plea claimed.

The Delhi Police had on Thursday questioned Jarwal''s father and brothers in connection with the case.

Rajendra Singh allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his house on April 18. Singh''s son Hemant told the police that his father ran a clinic in Durga Vihar and was also in the business of water supply with the Delhi Jal Board since 2007.

A suicide note was recovered from Singh''s house, alleging that Jarwal was responsible for his death.

A case of extortion and abetment to suicide had been registered against Jarwal, one Kapil Nagar and others at the Neb Sarai police station based on a complaint by Hemant.