Aam Aadmi leader held over ‘fake degree’

Delhi state Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar, a legislator of Aam Aadmi Party was arrested  today on charges of cheating and fraud in obtaining his law degree.

The arrest drew a sharp attack by the Indian capital’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party against the federal BJP-led government dubbing it as ‘political vendetta’, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The arrest of 49-year-old Tomar, MLA from Trinagar and a first time minister, comes in the midst of a standoff between AAP government and Delhi’s Lt Governor Najeeb Jung over the powers of the city government, giving it a new political twist.

Police arrested Tomar, from his house and took him to Vasant Vihar Police Station in South Delhi for interrogation.

Tomar claims to have a law degree from a University in Bihar which his rivals have alleged is fake.

Police sources said he has been arrested in the alleged fake degree case in which an FIR was registered against him last night in Hauz Khas Police Station. He has been accused of cheating, forgery, forgery with purpose of cheating and criminal conspiracy under various sections of Indian Penal Code.

A police team had gone to Bihar on the direction of the Delhi High Court to investigate the charges that Tomar had obtained a fake degree.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi refused to respond to queries on the arrest.

"I was in a meeting and I will seek details of his arrest before commenting," Bassi said.

Soon after the arrest, AAP leaders unleashed an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi government against what they claimed was an "illegal and unconstitutional" action against a duly-elected MLA and a minister.

The AAP government and Jung had been at loggerheads with each other over appointment of senior bureaucrats and head of an anti-graft body.