Murder charges invoked against Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party member

The Delhi Police today invoked murder charges against eight people, including a member of the Aam Aadmi Party, after the death of a constable who was severely beaten up by protesters at India Gate on Sunday.

The eight persons were yesterday charged with attempt to murder, rioting and destruction of public property among other sections of IPC.

However, following the death constable Subhash Chand Tomar (47), who was battling for his life at the RML Hospital here, this morning, the police decided to slap murder charges against the eight accused.

Those named in the FIR are Shankar Bisht, Nand, Shantanu, Kailash Joshi, Amit Joshi, Abhishek, Nafees Ahmad and Chaman, a member of AAP, the police said.

All the eight have been booked under sections 302 (murder), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of IPC.

They were arrested and released on bail yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Aam Admi Party alleged that police has failed to apprehend those actually involved in the incidents of stone-pelting at India Gate.

"They have arrested innocent people who were not involved in any such incident just to prove that their actions of lathicharge, tear gas shelling and water cannon use were right. Police have arrested them from places where they were holding peaceful demonstrations," the party claimed.

The constable, who died, was posted in Karawal Nagar area and was called for maintaining law and order at India Gate area during the protests over the gangrape of a 23-year-old girl on December 16. AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the youths were "implicated" by the police in the case.

"There is not a single proof that the government has and they are only framing these youths. Are they taking some revenge from us?" he alleged.

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