Former Congress MLA arrested for assaulting Delhi MC staff

New Delhi, November 27

Former Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan was arrested on Saturday for allegedly abusing and assaulting on-duty staff of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and obstructing government work, police said.

The arrest comes after a video surfaced, purportedly showing Khan abusing SDMC staff for allegedly removing hoardings and posters put up by him.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Esha Pandey said a case was registered against the former Okhla MLA on Friday based on a complaint by Ram Kishore, Inspector, MCD, Lajpat Nagar Zone.

The complainant accused Khan of abusing and assaulting on-duty MCD staff and obstructing government work.

The case was registered under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code at the Shaheen Bagh police station.

"Asif Mohammad Khan, a resident of Shaheen Bagh, has been arrested, and investigation of the case is in progress," Pandey said.

Khan on Friday had said he had no knowledge that they were SDMC staff.

"I don't know who they were. I received no call or message from the SDMC about the incident," he had said.

The video purportedly showing Khan beating up four men with a stick and directing them to hold their ears while doing squats surfaced on Friday.

He told PTI on Friday that he had noticed that the hoardings put up by him in the Okhla area were being removed while those of a local AAP MLA and the municipal corporation were untouched.

"I saw that some men were removing Congress party hoardings and posters from a nearby home in Okhla. When I questioned why they did not remove posters and hoardings of other parties, they did not answer. I just taught them a lesson. I have no idea who they were," Khan had said.

A senior SDMC official said on condition of anonymity that the people being subjected to "disrespect" belonged to the civic body.

"The matter has been discussed with the deputy commissioner of the central zone. Appropriate legal action is being taken by zonal authorities," the official had said.

The remunerative projects cell of the municipal corporation is responsible for removing unauthorised advertisement material and encroachments. PTI