Police yesterday arrested Aam Aaadmi Pary legislator Dinesh Mohaniya on charges of “sexual harassment.” 
A court later sent him to judicial custody till June 27.
The move follows the complaint of a woman who visited Mohaniya office-cum residence two days ago as part of a group to complain about irregular water supply, police said.
Mohaniya, a lawmaker representing Sangam Vihar in south Delhi, was picked up by a team of Delhi police while he was addressing a press conference at his residence.
He has also been booked for misbehaviour, manhandling and touching a woman inappropriately. The legislator was taken to Neb Sarai Police station in south Delhi where a group of 10-12 women had registered a complaint on Thursday.
“We arrested Mohaniya today on charges of manhandling, sexual harassment, inappropriately touching a woman and trying to disrobe her modesty when she visited his office-cum residence along with a group of women to complain about water supply problem,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh said.
Singh said that two of the women gave their statements that Mohaniya’s associates touched one of them inappropriately.
“Initially we had filed charges against Mohaniya under section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) which was levelled by the group of women in their complaint on Thursday,” the officer said.
“Later we added sections 354 A (making sexually coloured remarks or an offence of sexual harassment) and 354 B (act with intent to disrobe the modesty of a woman) of the IPC after two of the women independently gave their statements,” the Singh said.
“Earlier we served two consequent notices to him on Friday evening and Saturday morning for joining police investigation following a complaint registered against him, which he refused to accept. We had to arrest him as he was not co-operating in the inquiry,” the officer said.
Singh hinted more people may be arrested.
On Friday a case was registered against Mohaniya, the vice chairman of Delhi Jal Board, for allegedly slapping a 60-year-old man in Tughlakabad area of south Delhi when he had gone to meet people distressed over the poor water supply in the area.
The Bharatiya Janata Party said the arrest has exposed the “anti-women character” of AAP leaders.
“The arrest of Dinesh Mohaniya on allegations of slapping and harassing women has brought out in the open the anti-women character of the AAP leaders,” BJP Delhi unit chief Satish Upadhyay said.
“The arrest has also established the fact that there is extreme water scarcity in remote resettlement colonies and villages of south Delhi,” he said.
Meanwhile Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal directly took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he has declared an “emergency like situation” in the national capital.
“Modi declares emergency in Delhi. Arresting, raiding, terrorising, filing false cases against all those whom Delhi elected,” Kejriwal tweeted.
“Dinesh Mohaniya arrested from his press conference in front of all TV cameras. What message does Modi want to give to everyone,” the AAP leader asked in another tweet.
Kejriwal and Modi have been at loggerheads for a while now.
On Friday, after the central government returned 14 bills passed by the Delhi assembly, Kejriwal lashed out at Modi asking if the Centre was Delhi’s “headmaster”.
“Should the Centre have the power to stop every law related to Delhi? Shouldn’t the elected Delhi assembly have the right to make laws? Is the Centre Delhi’s headmaster?” Kejriwal tweeted.
Earlier on Friday, buoyed by the vote for Brexit, Kejriwal renewed calls for statehood for Delhi.
“After UK referendum, Delhi will soon have a referendum on full statehood,” he tweeted.
Statehood for the capital city was one of Kejriwal’s promises while he campaigned for the Delhi assembly elections. The chief minister has long held that the Centre unduly interferes in Delhi’s functioning.