New Delhi: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was granted bail on Friday by a Delhi court. He was arrested by the Delhi Police at Madanpur Khadar on Thursday for allegedly obstructing civic officials from carrying out a demolition drive. Khan was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of Rs 50,000 each.
Amanatullah Khan, who has been the face of protests against several demolition drives in Delhi, and five others were arrested on charges of rioting and obstructing public servants in discharge of their duty on Thursday.
The anti-encroachment drive also saw pelting of stones in Madanpur Khadar, where local people claimed that legal structures were demolished using bulldozer.
While speaking to the media, Khan accused the civic agency of demolishing the houses of poor people. "You said that you will remove encroachments. I am with you on this. But you are demolishing poor people's houses. There is not a single encroachment in this area," ANI quoted the AAP MLA as saying.
READ | Delhi: 18 FIRs Against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, Police Declare Him As 'Bad Character'
On May 9, Khan and his supporters were booked by Delhi Police when civic officials had gone to carry out a similar demolition drive in the Shaheen Bagh area.
Meanwhile, shopkeepers in Jamia Nagar and Shaheen Bagh downed their shutters to protest against Khan's "wrongful" arrest on Friday. Municipal councillor Abdul Wajid Khan told PTI that all markets in the area were closed.
"We are protesting against the arrest of Amanatullah Khan, and people of the area have also kept their shops closed in a show of solidarity," Wajid Khan said.
Moreover, the Delhi Police has declared Amanatullah Khan as a "bad character", according to an official document, PTI reported. A total of 18 FIRs have been registered against him, the document stated.
(With inputs from agencies)