Delhi HC issues notice on plea of former MLA Prakash Jarwal seeking quashing of his conviction
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
In New Delhi, the Delhi High Court has taken up a challenge from former AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal, who wants to overturn his conviction in a heartbreaking doctor’s suicide case. Jarwal, along with two associates, was found guilty in February 2024 of abetting the suicide of Dr. Rajendra Singh, a water tanker supplier in the city.
Justice Amit Mahajan issued a notice to Delhi Police, asking for their response to Jarwal’s plea. The court has scheduled a hearing for November 3. Jarwal’s team, led by senior advocate N. Hariharan and Siddharth Yadav, argues to quash the entire conviction. Meanwhile, the case heads back to Rouse Avenue court for sentencing arguments, but the High Court has paused those proceedings for now.
This isn’t Jarwal’s first win in appeals— the High Court already dismissed charges against the third accused, Harish Jarwal, earlier. A separate plea from co-accused Kapil Nagar is also before Justice Mahajan.
The trouble dates back to 2020, when police at Neb Sarai station filed an FIR against Jarwal, Nagar, and Harish for their role in Dr. Singh’s death. On April 18 that year, Singh’s son, Hemant, lodged the complaint, revealing years of harassment. Singh had supplied water tankers since 2005 without issues from the Delhi Jal Board. But after Jarwal became an AAP MLA and joined the board, things changed. Jarwal and Nagar allegedly demanded monthly payoffs to let the tankers operate, threatening Singh if he refused.
As a heart patient, Singh begged them to stop, but the pressure continued. Phone recordings and diary entries showed Singh detailing the extortion—lakhs of rupees handed over forcibly. He even sold ancestral land and pawned his wife’s jewelry to pay up. When Singh complained to the Jal Board engineer on April 9, 2020, Jarwal reportedly used his influence to halt payments and bar the tankers.
Special Judge M.K. Nagpal convicted Jarwal and Nagar on February 28, 2024, for abetment to suicide under Section 306 of the IPC, plus extortion (Sections 384 and 386), criminal intimidation (Section 506), and conspiracy (Section 120B). These charges carry punishments up to seven years, with the court ruling prosecutors proved the case beyond doubt. Harish faced only a criminal intimidation conviction.
Back in November 2021, the trial court had framed charges against all three, dropping some serious ones against Harish. Singh’s diary became key evidence, painting a picture of relentless mental torment that pushed the doctor to end his life.
As the legal battle unfolds, this case highlights ongoing concerns about extortion and power abuse linked to the Delhi Jal Board and local politics.
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