Delhi Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar arrested on cheating, forgery charges

New Delhi, Jun 9: Delhi Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar was today arrested on charges of cheating and fraud in obtaining his law degree, a development that immediately triggered a strong attack by the ruling AAP against Centre calling it political vendetta. The arrest of 49-year-old Tomar, MLA from Trinagar and a first time minister, comes in the midst of a running battle between the AAP government and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung over the powers of the city government, giving it a new political twist. Police arrested Tomar, who claims a law degree from a University in Bihar which his rivals have alleged is fake, from his house and took him to Vasant Vihar police station for questioning. 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 IPC. A police team had gone to Bihar on the direction of High Court to investigate charges that he had obtained a fake degree. Hauz Khas police station in south Delhi was heavily barricaded and a large contingent of police deployed there. 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 the Modi government against what they claimed was an “illegal and unconstitutional” action against a duly elected MLA and a minister.