Kejriwal's advisor tells police he saw MLAs assaulting CS

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's advisor V K Jain has admitted seeing two MLAs assaulting Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, police told a court on Thursday, remarks described as a huge blow to the ruling AAP.

The Police submission came during the hearing of bail pleas moved by AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal, who were arrested on charges of assaulting Prakash at Kejriwal's residence. Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon extended the judicial custody of the two MLAs by another 14 days while deciding to hear their bail plea on Friday afternoon.

Amid Kejriwal-led AAP claims that Prakash and others were cooking up the assault story to defame the city government, police informed the court that Jain had recorded the statement under Section 164 of the CrPC. According to police, Jain had called Prakash for a meeting at Kejriwal's residence.

Jain is claimed to have told police that he went to the washroom after reaching Kejriwal's official residence and when he came out, he saw the two MLAs assaulting the Chief Secretary.

According to the statement, Jain said that he had called Anshu Prakash for the meeting. Jain stated that he started from his house at Maharani Bagh and reached Camps, CM's residence. Thereafter, he went to the washroom. He also said Prakash's spectacles fell down and then he left the room.

Meanwhile, bureaucrats in Delhi government are in no mood to compromise with Kejriwal-led dispensation till the Chief Minister apologises for the assault of Prakash. Senior bureaucrats and other officials said they continued to boycott meetings called by Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues.

Breakdown in relations

In a report to Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal gave details of the incident and said there was a breakdown in relationship between the political leadership and bureaucracy.

Around 200 officers on Thursday decided not to attend meetings called by the chief minister and his ministers.

Officers from the IAS, DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) and DSSS (Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board) associations discussed the next course of action. In the meeting, sources said, all associations were on the same page as they were feeling "unsafe".

AAP protested outside the Union Home Minister's residence saying Delhi Police has not taken any action on the complaints filed by their MLAs.