New Delhi: A small-time transporter, who
slapped Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar days after
assaulting former Telecom Minister Sukhram, was sent on Friday to
Tihar Jail by a Delhi court.
Metropolitan Magistrate Jasjeet Kaur remanded 27-year-old
Harvinder Singh in judicial custody till December 9 after
Delhi Police produced him in the court amidst tight security.
He has been charged with assaulting Pawar, a public
servant, and threatening him yesterday, besides trying to kill
himself by slashing his wrist with his small `kirpan`.
Activists of NCP, led by 71-year-old Pawar, shouted
slogans and blocked traffic outside Patiala House court
premises and even tried to assault the accused later.
Singh was remanded in judicial custody after police
pleaded that he has become "a threat to the society" and
should not be released.
Singh showed no remorse and shouted slogans like "Bhagat
Singh Zindabad, Rajguru Zindabad" in the courtroom. He also
said he would want to repeat what he did.
Later, when police was escorting him to Patiala House
court lock-up after the court order, around 25 NCP supporters
tried to assault him. The police, however, managed to take him
away him to the lock-up.
Police officials persuaded the NCP supporters, who
slogans like `Sharad Pawar zindabad`, to leave the court
premises.
The NCP activists blocked traffic at India Gate near the
court premises for about 10 minutes but were dispersed by
police.
During the court proceedings, Singh refused to engage any
lawyer to defend himself saying he has no hope from the
government.
Singh had assaulted Pawar when he was coming out of a
literary function at a public auditorium on Parliament Street,
claiming to protest against price rise and corruption.
Singh had assaulted Sukhram outside a court last Saturday
after he was sentenced to five years in jail in a 1996
corruption case.
Private security guards had overpowered Singh after he
had assaulted the minister. The offences he has been
accused of were non-bailable, lawyers said.
PTI
