Trouble seems to be mounting for the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Deoli, Prakash Jarwal, as investigations hint that he allegedly received bribes to the tune of Rs 60 lakh per month from the water tanker owners.
As per a report in Times of India, as many as 20 water tanker owners have come forward to claim that the AAP MLA had asked them to pay money. 4 of them testified before a magistrate saying that they had paid Rs 20,000 to get their file cleared and Rs 500 for each round of supply. The total amount sums up to Rs 60 lakhs per month.
Jarwal’s alleged involvement with the tanker mafias came to the light when one of the tanker operators, Dr Rajender Singh, committed suicide alleging harassment at the hands of the AAP MLA from Deoli and his aide Kapil Nagar. It was reported that Singh had paid Rs 10 lakh to Jarwal’s aide Kapil before having a dispute with Jarwal over the refusal to make further payments. The details of the payment made to Jarwal was submitted by the deceased doctor’s family members before the magistrate.
The tanker owners contended that if they failed in making payments, their tankers were delisted from supplying water. Furthermore, they were also barred from filling water from the DJB office.
According to Singh’s son, Hemant, the AAP MLA and his underlings were after his father from the last five years. He stated that his father had paid Rs 50 lakh to keep the tanker listed with the DJB office but more money was demanded from him. A couple of days prior to his death, Singh had allegedly made a payment of Rs 60,000 to Jarwal and had got an assurance from him that his tankers won’t be delisted. However, Jarwal purportedly got them removed.
Hemant further added that when he and his father went to the DJB office in GK-II, they were informed that Jarwal had got their payments stopped. Singh’s wife, Brahmwati, claimed that they had mortgaged her jewellery to pay Rs 1 lakh after the elections to re-enlist the tanker, which was bought for Rs 10 lakh, adding that they didn’t have money to pay the driver and cleaner.
Prakash Jarwal and the Suicide Case
The deceased doctor, identified as Dr. Rajendra Singh, was a resident of the Deoli neighbourhood in South Delhi and had committed suicide on the 18th of April. In his suicide note, he accused Prakash Jarwal and his associate Kapil Nagar of harassment and blamed them for his decision to take the drastic step. Consequently, the Police had registered an abetment of suicide case against the AAP MLA and his associate and others in the matter.
They were arrested on Saturday evening by the Delhi Police after the Saket Court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. According to police officials, a team of about 15 policemen including ACP Sudhanshu Dhama, Vijay Chandel, and Neb Sarai’s SHO Naresh Solanki raided the MLA’s residence in Tigri on Friday afternoon. Govindpuri, Rohini, and other areas of Delhi were also raided. During this time, the assistants and others found at the MLA’s house were also interrogated.
