‘AAP worker’ held in woman’s suicide case

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested Ramesh Bhardwaj, the accused in the AAP worker suicide case. The woman victim had alleged that she was tortured and harassed for sexual favours by Bhardwaj.
Joint commissioner (crime) Ravindra Yadav said Bhardwaj, an alleged AAP worker, was arrested from Sonipat and was being interrogated. Hours after his arrest, crime branch sleuths questioned Narela MLA Sharad Chauhan at their Rohini office.He was asked to join the probe on Thursday, along with his personal assistant and another associate, Rajni Kanth, who is absconding.
The police had filed a case of abetment to suicide after the woman killed herself on July 18. She had also registered a case of sexual harassment against Bhardwaj on June 2. The woman, police said, had sent a message to a WhatsApp group, alleging that Bhardwaj and two others—Amit Kumar and Rajni Kanth—were forcing her to withdraw the complaint. She poisoned herself to death at her Narela house on Tuesday after sending the message.
An SIT formed in the case is analysing the message, which is being considered as dying declaration. Police said Narela MLA Sharad Chauhan’s name also figured in the message. “I have been implicated by the three men and the MLA. I have lost in my struggle for truth,” the police said quoting her message.
AAP has come under attack for allegedly ignoring her complaints and shielding a party functionary. The harassment case dates back to December 31. In the FIR filed on June 2, the woman alleged that Bhardwaj, on their way back from a party meeting, asked her to “compromise” if she wanted to further her career in AAP .
“He asked me to stop loving my body and compromise for the sake of my career,” she alleged. Soon after this, Bhardwaj was arrested but later released on bail.
Her husband claimed Bhardwaj’s men had even threatened to kill her if she did not withdraw the case. She went to the Narela police station to register a complaint, but only a non-cognisable report was filed, he said. Bhardwaj then filed a counter-complaint, alleging that she was demanding Rs 15 lakh and a flat from him. The police said a cross FIR was registered.
Meanwhile, National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam, along with BJP MLA Vijender Gupta, met the daughters of the AAP worker on Wednesday.
Kumaramangalam assured assistance from the central government, including security, to the family. Police commissioner Alok Verma is believed to have assured round-the-clock security for the family. Currently, they have been receiving police protection from morning till 6pm.
“The daughters told me that their mother had received a call from a man threatening to abduct her two children,” Kumaramangalam added.