HC refuses protection against arrest to AAP MLA Jarnail Singh

The Delhi High Court today refused to give interim protection against arrest to AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, who was accused of assaulting an MCD engineer and preventing him from demolishing an illegal construction in west Delhi.
A bench of Justice Sunita Gupta while refusing to pass an interim order, issued notice to the Delhi police asking them to file status report on the incident as well as on Singh's plea seeking anticipatory bail.
"Issue notice. Let the police file its status report by tomorrow," the court said, adding, "let me have the status report first, then will decide the application".

Singh, AAP's Tilak Nagar MLA, moved the high court after the trial court on May 2 had declined him anticipatory bail.
Singh, who is facing arrest after his anticipatory bail was rejected by the trial court, has been booked by the police for allegedly assaulting a South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) junior engineer, Athar Mustaffa, and preventing him from carrying out his duty when the latter and his team had gone to demolish an illegal construction in west Delhi area on April 28.
An FIR was lodged after police received a complaint from engineer.

Senior advocate H S Phoolka, appearing for Singh, sought relief, saying his client has been falsely implicated in the case at the behest of his political rivals and this was not a case where custodial interrogation was necessary.

In a related development, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi told media that Singh was absconding and hoped that the MLA would surrender soon.
During the brief arguments, Phoolka said the trial court judge had rejected Singh's plea as he was not represented properly due to a lawyers' strike.
"The trial court had not given any reason for rejection of the anticipatory bail application of Singh," Phoolka said, adding that the facts in the FIR were not correct.