New Delhi: Police Tuesday claimed to have detained AAP’s Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar for allegedly creating a ruckus and attempting to disrupt law and order in east Delhi’s Kalyanpuri over the murder of an on-duty sanitation worker Sunday.However, AAP alleged that cops in plain clothes “kidnapped” Kumar from his residence at 4am and took him to an undisclosed location because he was demanding Rs 1 crore compensation and a govt job for the kin of the deceased. The party also alleged that police broke CCTV cameras at the MLA’s home and took away the DVR.In the afternoon, party chief Arvind Kejriwal took to X to question PM Modi over Kumar’s whereabouts. “Where is our MLA? Your police is not telling us anything. If they can pick up an MLA from his home without any information or reason, where can the common man in this country go for help?” he posted.Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed that even the police commissioner and DCP did not know where the MLA was kept throughout the day. Kumar wasn’t allowed to take his phone with him after he was picked up, AAP workers alleged.Kumar’s family filed a habeas corpus petition before Delhi High Court. During the hearing before a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja, senior advocate Shadan Farasat questioned the manner in which Kumar was detained, adding, “He was picked up at 4am, and couldn’t be contacted throughout the day”.Denying the charge that the MLA was abducted, police informed the court that Kumar was taken into preventive detention before being released. HC then disposed of the plea.Later, a senior police officer said that Kumar was detained at 5.15am under Section 65 of Delhi Police Act and released at 3.28 pm.“The MLA was allegedly instigating the family of Anil Kumar, the deceased, asking them to place his body on the road and not cremate him,” another officer said, adding that police also received information about a possible plan to block National Highway-24 over the issue.Multiple AAP functionaries like Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and former CM Atishi tore into police over the MLA’s detention.However, Delhi BJP media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor accused AAP functionaries and the MLA of “politicising” the death and attempting to link a murder committed due to personal reasons with Delhi govt and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).“The private company, which had appointed the worker, offered appropriate compensation to his family Sunday itself. However, in order to further his political interests, the MLA allegedly pressured the family for two days and even prevented the post-mortem of the body from being conducted. Through his statements, the MLA also attempted to disturb the law-and-order situation, compelling police to take him for questioning,” said Kapoor, demanding that Kumar should apologise not only to the people of Delhi but also to the family of the deceased.Mayor Pravesh Wahi said, “We have directed the contracted company to give the family Rs 10 lakh as compensation. Also, a job for one of the family members on compassionate ground is being asked for,” he said.The MLA and local AAP workers, agitating against the murder, allegedly refused to allow Anil Kumar’s body to be taken out from the mortuary of Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital until their demands were met. Heavy police and paramilitary deployment was made at the hospital and Khichripur Bus Stand on NH-24 as sanitation workers and auto-tipper drivers gathered to demand justice.Police said a suspect has been arrested and that the killing appeared to be a case of mistaken identity.
