Sacked women & child development minister in India's Delhi arrested for rape

Indian police have arrested Delhi's sacked Women and Child Development Minister Sandeep Kumar on charges of rape.

The arrest took place late Saturday evening, a day after 36-year-old Kumar was removed by Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from his ruling anti-graft Aam Aadmi Party's government over a sex scandal.

Police said Kumar was arrested following a complaint by a 40-year-old woman, who has alleged that she was drugged, raped and secretly filmed about a year ago by the former minister. Both Kumar and the woman featureing in a sex video has emerged.

"This incident happened last year after Kumar became a minister. The woman has filed a complaint and Kumar has been booked for rape, amongst other charges," senior Delhi Police officer Vikramjit Singh told the media.

Kumar, who was the youngest minister in the Delhi government, has refuted the allegations, saying he was not the man in the video, and has alleged that he is being targeted because he belongs to a Dalit (lower caste) family.

But Kejriwal took a strong stance and suspended him from the party's primary membership. "If the woman's allegations are correct, this is very serious. Strongest exemplary punishment should be given to Sandeep," the Delhi chief minister tweeted.

Earlier, in a video message to his party workers, Kejriwal had accused Kumar of "betraying the Aam Aadmi Party."

"We will never ever compromise on our core values. We will prefer to die than tolerate wrongdoings," he said.

Kumar is the third minister to be sacked by Kejriwal since his party swept to power in assembly polls in February last year, decimating the country's main opposition Congress party that had ruled Delhi for 15 years.

While Delhi's Law Minister Jitender Tomar was sacked over allegations of fake college degree, Environment Minister Asim Ahmed Khan was axed following bribery charges.

Source : XINHUA