New Delhi: Former Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash on Tuesday told a Delhi court that it was Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and CM Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia who hatched the conspiracy under which he was beaten up by AAP MLAs in 2018. Prakash said this while challenging the trial court's verdict in which Kejriwal, Sisodia, and nine AAP MLAs were acquitted. The criminal case pertains to the assault on Anshu Prakash at Kejriwal's residence in February 19, 2018.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Anshu Prakash, told Special Judge Gitanjali Goel that the trial court had erred in its decision to acquit the politicians in the case. He also said that even after an appeal in writing from the investigating agency, the AAP government did not allow the Delhi Police to file a revision petition against the trial court's verdict. The lawyer told the court, "Kejriwal and Sisodia were conspirators in the case. The 11 MLAs were called for a meeting at 12 pm at the CM's residence. The meeting was deliberately placed in the CM's drawing-room, where CCTV cameras were not installed. The meeting did not take place in the meeting room, where CCTV cameras were installed. '
Siddharth Luthra further said, "The MLAs were called an hour before the chief secretary. The meeting was convened without any agenda. Officials and ministers were not invited to maintain secrecy. The council told the court that AAP MLAs, including CM Kejriwal, deputy CM Manish Sisodia, changed their stand before the court. The lawyer said in the court, "Now he is admitting to the attack on the chief secretary, but he is denying the conspiracy. Termed as chief minister, deputy chief minister, and acquittal, the other MLAs are making Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal a scapegoat by saying that the trial court has framed the correct charges against the two MLAs.
The trial court had acquitted Kejriwal, Sisodia, and other MLAs Rajesh Rishi, Nitin Tyagi, Praveen Kumar, Ajay Dutt, Sanjeev Jha, Rituraj Govind, Rajesh Gupta, Madan Lal, and Dinesh Mahonia. However, the court had ordered the framing of charges against AAP MLAs Khan and Jarwal. Khan and Jarwal have been granted bail by the High Court.
