AAP minister Sandeep Kumar claims innocence, wife backs him

AAP's Political Affairs Committee had suspended the 36-year-old first-time MLA from the party and referred the matter to its disciplinary committee. The sacked Delhi Minister Sandeep Kumar has surrendered before police after a woman filed a rape complaint against him. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal says he takes "pride" from the fact that AAP did not attempt to "cover up" the transgressions.

Delhi AAP minister Sandeep Kumar's wife has come out in support of her husband who has been arrested on charges of raping a woman. She claimed that he has been "falsely implicated" in the sex tape scandal.

"My husband is innocent, I stand by him. Rape charges against my husband are wrong," said minister's wife Ritu Kumar.

Kumar, 36, has claimed innocence. He was produced in a Delhi court on Sunday which sent him to police custody for a day. The Aam Aadmi Party has cancelled Kumar's party membership and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has recommended "exemplary punishment" if proven guilty.

Ritu Kumar said the charges were part of a political conspiracy and her husband was innocent. She said the entire family was with Kumar at this hour.

In her complaint, the 40-year-old woman, who is from Himachal Pradesh but has lived in Delhi for almost 20 years and has two children, said she had gone to meet the minister at his Sultanpuri office for a ration card 11 months ago. She alleged that Kumar gave her a spiked drink after which she fell unconscious. Kumar, she alleged, then took her to his house where she was raped and filmed.

Minister Kumar, who joined the Delhi cabinet as its youngest minister, has been booked on charges of rape, transmission of material containing sexually explicit act and taking illegal gratification.