Former Delhi minister Sundeep Kumar, who was arrested in connection with a rape case in September, was granted bail on Monday. Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry of a Delhi court gave him bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and also directed him to not try to influence witnesses in the case or doctor evidence, according to The New Indian Express.
Kumar was suspended from the Aam Aadmi Party for his alleged involvement in a sex scandal. He was taken into custody by the police on September 3 after the woman seen with him in the sex tape accused him of sexually assaulting her.
The woman had said that the incident had taken place a year ago, when she had gone to him for help with her ration card. She had claimed that he had drugged her, taken her to a room and sexually assaulted her. Kumar was sacked as the social welfare minister of Delhi on August 31, after he was seen in a "compromising position" with the complainant and another woman in a video.
The Delhi Police, which had opposed his bail application, had filed a case against Kumar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including for rape and poisoning, as well as under the Information Technology Act for taping the incident and publishing it. However, his personal secretary was later detained for circulating the tape.
Kumar had denied the charges, saying he was targeted because he is a Dalit. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had made the decision to suspend him from the party after receiving a copy of the tape, which is being investigated by a special team of the Delhi Police Crime Branch.
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