New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Minister Atishi alleged on Saturday that the city police arrested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar at the same time his anticipatory bail plea was being heard in court.

Kumar was arrested on Saturday in connection with the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal, officials said.

He was picked up from the chief minister's residence by a Delhi Police team around noon, a senior officer said.

Addressing a press conference, Atishi said Kumar had filed a plea for anticipatory bail before the Tis Hazari court.

Kumar was picked up for questioning by the Delhi Police around 11 am. As soon as he was taken for questioning, news channels started saying he had been arrested, she claimed.

"This shows the BJP's conspiracy. Their intention is to disturb our election campaign and Arvind Kejriwal," she said.

Atishi said the Tis Hazari court considered Kumar's matter urgent and agreed to hear his plea on Saturday itself.

"The court commenced hearing on his plea at 3:55 pm and within 20 minutes, the Delhi Police arrested him at the Civil Lines police station. As soon as his lawyers began arguments, the police learnt that their case is weak and Kumar would get relief. So they arrested Kumar," she claimed.

Atishi alleged that when the court was dictating its order on the matter at 4:55 pm, the Delhi Police lawyer appeared through videoconferencing and said Kumar had already been arrested.

Kumar's anticipatory bail plea has become "infructuous" as he has been arrested, the court observed.

The chief minister's aide, accused of assaulting Maliwal on May 13 at Kejriwal's residence, was arrested two days after an FIR was registered against him at the Civil Lines police station.

Additional Sessions Judge Sushil Anuj Tyagi, while dictating the order to the court staff on the anticipatory bail plea, noted that Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Kumar Srivastava appeared through videoconferencing around 4:45 pm and informed the court that Kumar had already been arrested.

Atishi said, "Even they knew that their case was weak and if the case was heard, Bibhav Kumar would get bail. That is why tomorrow (Sunday) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will lead all AAP leaders and to the BJP headquarters and court arrest."

Kejriwal said he and other AAP leaders would go to the BJP headquarters on Sunday "so that the prime minister can send anyone he wants to jail".

The BJP is saying they would send AAP MP Raghav Chadha and Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj to jail, he claimed at a press briefing, hours after Kumar was arrested.

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Hyderabad (PTI): A gang allegedly manufacturing and trafficking Alprazolam drug in bulk quantity illegally in Siddipet district of Telangana has been busted, NCB officials said on Sunday.

Three people, including a Chemist freelancer, have been arrested in this regard, they added.

As much as 39.470 kgs of Alprazolam worth around Rs 12 crore and Rs 85.36 lakhs in cash were seized on May 15, the Hyderabad Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said in a release.

On the basis of specific information, NCB officials intercepted two four-wheelers and two persons when they were exchanging Alprazolam illegally without any valid license.

The search resulted in the recovery of 39.470 kgs of Alprazolam and Rs 85,36,200 in cash, found to be proceeds of Alprazolam sales, it said.

On the basis of a disclosure made by one of the accused about the supplier of the Alprazolam, NCB officials apprehended another person from Hyderabad.

On interrogation, it was revealed that the person who supplied the drug had studied MSc Chemistry. He is working as a chemist freelancer, and he disclosed that he manufactured the seized Alprazolam clandestinely in his laboratory at Prashantnagar here, the NCB said.

All three persons "confessed to their involvement in manufacturing and trafficking of Alprazolam illegally" and were arrested under the relevant sections of the NDPS Act 1985.

Preliminary investigation suggested that they transacted around 150 kgs of Alprazolam over the last five years.

All three accused were produced before the magistrate and sent to judicial custody. Further investigation is ongoing, the release added.