New Delhi:
A local court here today asked Delhi Police to carry out a medical test to ascertain the mental health of Harvinder Singh, the man who attacked Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar last week, and submit a report by December 5.
Metropolitan Magistrate Jasjeet Kaur ordered the medical test to be conducted at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) after Mr Singh's counsel claimed his client was suffering from mental illness since 2004.
During the arguments, advocate Kapil Dhaka, appearing for Mr Singh, said his client is suffering from mental illness and needs proper medication. He said Singh should be given bail as investigation is over and no purpose would be served by keeping him in jail.
The public prosecutor, however, vehemently opposed the bail plea, saying Mr Singh is a "grave threat to society".
The prosecutor said before slapping Mr Pawar, Mr Singh had also assaulted former Telecom Minister Sukh Ram and has shown no signs of remorse.
Mr Singh, a small-time transporter, had assaulted Mr Pawar on November 24, when the latter was coming out of a public auditorium on Parliament Street, claiming to protest against price rise and corruption. Private security guards had overpowered Mr Singh after he had assaulted Mr Pawar.
He has been charged with assaulting the 71-year-old public servant and threatening him, besides trying to kill himself by slashing his wrist with his small 'kirpan'.
He was produced in the court next day and was remanded in judicial custody till December 9.
Earlier, when he was produced in the court had shouted slogans like "Bhagat Singh Zindabad, Rajguru Zindabad" in the courtroom.