Former AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar. (File Photo) Former AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar. (File Photo)

FORMER Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar was arrested on Saturday night, hours after a woman alleged that he had drugged and raped her a year ago, police said. The arrest came three days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was sacked as Delhi’s Women and Child Development Minister following the release of a video showing the complainant and him in a “compromising position”. Minutes after the video surfaced, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced the removal of Kumar as minister.

Kejriwal’s announcement led to a rift within the ruling AAP, with party leader Ashutosh questioning the dismissal for a seemingly “consensual act” and calling the move “perception management”. A day after his removal, Kumar had said that he was being targeted because he was a Dalit and that his image was being tarnished without the authenticity of the video being verified.

Confirming Kumar’s arrest, DCP Vikramjit Singh, Delhi Police, said: “A case under sections 376 (rape) and 328 (poisoning) of the Indian Penal Code, section 67A of the IT Act and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered at Sultanpuri police station.”

Singh said, “The woman had approached us in the morning and we are looking into the matter.” Sources said that Kumar has been named in the FIR, and that the woman would record her statement before a magistrate on Sunday.

The complainant, who lives in Sultanpuri with her husband and children, approached police around 11 am on Saturday to register her complaint, said sources.

Before the FIR was lodged, the complainant recorded her version on video with a mobile phone camera, said sources. In the video, she alleged that Kumar, on the pretext of providing her a ration card, “forced himself” on her.

“I met him for the first time because I wanted my ration card to be made. He assured me that he will provide me the card but took me into a room where he forced himself on me,” she said in the video.

According to sources, the woman told police that the incident took place a year ago but added that she did not remember the exact date. In the police complaint, she said Kumar had given her a cold drink, which made her feel “intoxicated”. She claimed she had no idea there was a video of the incident.

The complainant also demanded an inquiry to find out who was responsible for the release of the video and demanded action against them. She told police that after the incident, she was too scared to tell anyone about it or confront Kumar. Later on Saturday, the woman was taken to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital for a medical examination.

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