New Delhi, February 12: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan has denied fleeing after Delhi Police launched an operation to arrest him. In his first public statement since the incident, Khan asserted that he is currently in his assembly constituency and has not escaped anywhere.
This comes after the Delhi Police initiated a search operation to apprehend Khan, who has been accused of leading an attack on a police team and threatening officers in Jamia Nagar on February 10. Khan has accused the Delhi Police of falsely implicating him in the case to cover up their own mistakes. He also claimed that the person whom the police sought to arrest had already been granted bail, and when the suspect presented his bail papers, the police tried to involve him in the matter.
Khan wrote a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner, stating, “I am in my assembly constituency, I have not fled anywhere. Some people from Delhi Police are implicating me in a false case… The person whom Delhi Police had come to arrest has already got bail. When the person showed his papers, the police are implicating me in a false case to hide their mistake.”
An FIR has been registered against Amanatullah Khan for allegedly manhandling police officers, obstructing their duties, and preventing the arrest of an accused. The charges against him are under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), including sections related to obstructing justice and disturbing the peace.
The incident occurred when a Crime Branch team of Delhi Police attempted to arrest Shavej Khan, a suspect in a 2018 attempted murder case, in the Jogabai Extension area of Jamia Nagar. The FIR alleges that Khan and his supporters obstructed the police and engaged in a scuffle, aiding in the suspect’s escape.
Despite the controversy, Khan successfully retained his seat in the Delhi Assembly elections, securing a margin of 23,639 votes. However, AAP experienced a significant decline in its performance, falling from 62 to just 22 seats, while the BJP made a strong return with 48 seats after 27 years.