Sacked AAP minister Sandeep Kumar booked for rape, surrenders before police

NEW DELHI: The day full of dramatic developments for the ousted AAP minister Sandeep Kumar, ended with his arrest. Kumar, who has been mired in a sex scandal controversy, was taken into custody by Delhi Police late Saturday evening.Earlier, Kumar had surrendered before the Deputy Commissioner of Police office in Rohini after he was booked under rape charges following the complaint lodged by woman who was seen in the released video.The woman had alleged that she had been given a drink laced with drugs by the minister. The Delhi Police then booked Kumar under Section 376 (charges of rape) while the woman was taken for a medical examination for investigation.She had alleged in her complaint that the CD was made after Kumar became a minister. The woman claimed she had gone to meet Kumar for his help in getting a ration card. She was asked to wait at the minister's office and then offered a cold drink which was allegedly spiked, news agency PTI said.After she lost consciousness, she was allegedly raped. The woman claimed she did not know a CD had been made. AAP had suspended Sandeep Kumar from the party on Saturday morning. The suspension came nearly four days after the decision to remove the 36-year-old minister was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top AAP leaders . Kumar was the former Social Welfare and Women and Child Development Minister.In the "objectionable" CD that emerged, he was shown in a compromising position with the woman.Meanwhile, Kumar has maintained that he is being targeted under a "conspiracy" as he is a Dalit and demanded a probe into the issue."I am the only Dalit face of the party. I have been popular among Dalit community, that's why a conspiracy has been hatched against me. Other political parties are after us as we do not have a political background," he had said after the allegations. "Someone is saying the video is two months old and others are saying it is three months old. There is no authentication Dalits have been exploited always. I belong to a poor family, so I know the facts are distorted. I have been framed because I am a Dalit," he added.(With inputs from agencies)