Bail granted to MLA

By Nirnimesh Kumar

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 28. A Delhi court today granted bail to the Janata Dal (Secular) Member of the Delhi Assembly, Mr. Shoaib Iqbal, in a case in which he allegedly slapped and intimidated a supporter of an Independent candidate at the time of filing of nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections last year.

Mr. Iqbal appeared before the Metropolitan Magistrate (MM), Mr. Rakesh Sayal, who admitted him to bail on his furnishing a bail bond of Rs. 5,000 with one surety of the same amount.

The MM posted the matter for September 30 for framing of charges in the case.

The MLA had been avoiding appearance before the court despite being served with bailable warrants four times in the past one year.

Taking cognisance of the charge-sheet filed last year, the court had issued bailable warrant against the MLA on January 6 for February 1. But he failed to appear on that day. Since then, the court had extended the warrant four times-- for March 1, April 4, for July 8 and for September 29.

Mr. Iqbal represents the Matia Mahal constituency in the Delhi Assembly. The case was registered by the Sabzi Mandi police following directions by a MM court.

The directions came on a complaint by the victim, Sharief Mirza, a resident of Jama Masjid in the Walled City area, filed through Mr. K. C. Chopra, an advocate, in the court of the then Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Mr. R.K. Gauba, who later transferred it to an MM.

The Metropolitan Magistrate's court in his August 31 order last year asked the Sabzi Mandi police to register a case under Sections 323 (for voluntary causing hurt) and 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The Sabzi Mandi police registered a case by evening on the same day.

According to the complaint, on August 18 around noon the petitioner had accompanied Mr. Sualheen, the Independent candidate, to the Tis Hazari courts for filing his nomination papers for the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency.

When the complainant was standing in the corridor outside Room No. 16, Mr. Iqbal, the Janata Dal (S) candidate for the constituency, grabbed Mirza by his collar and slapped him. He also threatened to kill him if he supported the candidate in the elections, the complaint said.

All this, the complaint said, happened in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) and Constable Sanjay Kumar who were on duty. The Constable saved the petitioner, the complaint added.

The petitioner asked the DCP to take action against the accused. The DCP asked the applicant to lodge his complaint in writing to the Police Post, Tis Hazari courts. He submitted a written report to the Police Post and a copy of it was also submitted to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Daryaganj, the complaint said.

But the police refused to register the case as the MLA was a political heavyweight and the former was not inclined to register a case, the complaint said.

The court admitted the complaint and asked the police to register a case following which, the Sabzi Mandi police registered the case.

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