Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Charged For Alleged Assault On Delhi Bureaucrat

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Deputy Manish Sisodia have been named as accused in the case involving the alleged assault on Delhi's Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash -- setting up what is expected to be another flashpoint between the Centre and the Delhi government.

Sources said the chargesheet, filed by the Delhi Police, also names 11 other ministers and lawmakers, who were present at the late night meeting at the official residence of the Chief Minister, held in February.  Mr Prakash had alleged that he was attacked during the meeting, where Mr Kejriwal's former advisor VK Jain was also present.

In his complaint, the chief secretary said Mr Kejriwal asked him to explain the delay in releasing a three-year anniversary TV campaign.

Soon, the lawmakers shouted at him and threatened him. "One MLA, whom I can identify, threatened that I will be confined in the room for the entire night unless I agree to release the TV campaign," he said.

Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal, who flanked the bureaucrat, "started hitting and assaulting me and hit several blows with fists on my head and temple," he said in the complaint.

Amantullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal were later arrested in the case. Mr Jain was questioned by the police.

Mr Kejriwal and his ministers had dismissed the allegations as ludicrous and cited the CCTV footage from the house as proof that the bureaucrat had safely left. A forensic report later confirmed that the time counters on the CCTV cameras were nearly 40 minutes behind the actual time.

The alleged attack had led to a long-drawn, bitter face-off between the bureaucrats and the ministers.

AAP alleged that for weeks, the bureaucrats boycotted meetings called by the ministers. The matter was resolved after Mr Kejriwal's sit-in protest at the house of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal in June.