Policeman 'misbehaved' with Sisodia, says AAP; Delhi Police denies charge

The AAP alleged on Tuesday that a policeman misbehaved with former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia at the Rouse Avenue court here.

The Delhi Police has dismissed the charge as propaganda.

Sisodia was produced before the court in a money-laundering case related to the alleged excise scam on Tuesday. The court extended his judicial custody till June 1.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi posted a video of the alleged incident on Twitter and wrote: "Shocking misbehaviour by this policeman with Manish in Rouse Avenue Court. Delhi Police should suspend him immediately."

Shocking misbehaviour by this policeman with Manish ji in Rouse Avenue Court. Delhi police should suspend him immediately. pic.twitter.com/q9EU0iGkPL

— Atishi (@AtishiAAP)

Slamming the police, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "Do the police have the right to misbehave with Manish Sisodia like this? Have the police been instructed to do this?" The Delhi Police dismissed the charge as "propaganda" and said it is "against the law" for an accused in judicial custody to issue statements to the media.

"The matter of policeman misbehaving with Manish Sisodia in the Rouse Avenue court is propaganda. The policeman's reaction as seen in the video was natural from the security point of view. It is against the law for an accused to issue statements to the media," the police said in a tweet.

Earlier, talking to reporters on the court premises, Sisodia lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged that the police "misbehaved" with Sisodia in order to "please their boss". He further said the court should take cognisance of the incident.

"Police hooliganism at its peak. This police officer was pulling Manish Sisodia by his neck in order to please his boss. Hon'ble court should take cognisance of this incident. Modiji, the entire country is watching your dictatorship," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the country will "never forget such misbehaviour" with the former education minister of Delhi.

Addressing a press conference here, Bharadwaj alleged that the policemen accompanying Sisodia to the Rouse Avenue court were instructed to humiliate him.

"We always doubted that officials had been misbehaving with Manish Sisodia in the jail but unfortunately, we do not have any evidence to prove it. The policemen have been instructed to demean and humiliate Sisodia in the court. We do not care if they do not suspend the policeman, because he did what he was instructed to do. It is the duty of the court to ensure that an accused is not mistreated at its premises," he said.

Reacting to the police statement on the incident, the senior AAP leader said con man Sukesh Chandrashekhar was allowed by the Delhi Police to interact with the media despite being in police custody.

Showing videos of Chandrashekhar during the presser, Bharadwaj said, "They cannot allow Manish Sisodia to speak to the media while in judicial custody, but they can allow con man Sukesh Chandrashekhar to do the same. The Delhi Police allowed him to interact with the media despite being in police custody. The Delhi police is lying with confidence about the matter."