Recently, a video went viral showing jailed Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain getting massages in his cell.
While the news made waves on social media, here’s a look back at AAP’s ‘ration card minister,’ Sandeep Kumar, who was accused of accepting sexual favours in exchange for a ration card.
Sandeep Kumar was the minister for women and child development in the government, ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). In 2016, the AAP’s cabinet-ranked minister stirred a furore after a purported nine-minute video emerged wherein he was seen in a compromising position with a woman.
Reports also claimed that the woman who featured in the sex tape had lodged a complaint against Sandeep Kumar, accusing him of sexually exploiting her on the pretext of getting her a ration card.
Following the complaint, the police arrested the accused on September 3, 2016, and sent him to 3 days of police custody booking him under sections 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison with intent to commit an offence) of IPC, under section 67A of IT Act (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration for an official act).
In September 2016, the CD was delivered to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s home. Half an hour later, Kejriwal Tweeted that he was sacking Sandeep Kumar, then the youngest minister in his cabinet.
Kejriwal had then stated that Kumar had betrayed the faith of AAP supporters and therefore deserved sacking.
In addition to the rape charges, there was another controversy about Sandeep Kumar which made him very unpopular, especially in the virtual world. He was also accused of trying to use his official position to ensure American citizenship for his newly born son.
The MLA had then defended himself against the rape charges, saying he has been targeted since he was a Dalit. Kumar’s wife has also come out in support of her husband, claiming that he was “falsely implicated” in the scandal.
PornHub trolls AAP minister Sandeep Kumar
After the news on the AAP sex tape went viral, PornHub Aria, the largest adult video website, responded to the scandal. The website mocked the AAP minister by referring to him as “their employee.”
For those who are unfamiliar with Pornhub, it is the largest adult video website on the internet, with a focus on user-submitted content. That is, those who generate sexual content for Pornhub are paid for it and are considered employees.
AAP’s ‘ration card minister’ disqualified from the party for ‘defection’
Later in 2019, the AAP MLA Sandeep Kumar was disqualified from the party for supporting BSP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The MLA from Sultanpur Majra constituency was accused of harming the prospects of the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by supporting the BSP.
Delhi Police reminds AAP government in Delhi for sanction to chargesheet its ‘sex tape’ minister
In the same year, the Delhi Police sent a reminder to the AAP government in Delhi for sanction to chargesheet AAP’s former minister Sandeep Kumar infamous for his alleged ‘sex tape’. The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Rajendra Singh Sagar confirmed that the police had moved the application for a prosecution grant against Sandeep Kumar to the Kejriwal government in April 2018 also. However, the police had, then too, not received any response from the AAP government.
