GURGAON: A soldier was arrested and remanded in jail on Tuesday for allegedly threatening a Dalit activist over the phone and asking him to withdraw a police case against Haryanvi singer Sapna Chaudhary.

Chaudhary was booked under the SC/ST Act in July for using derogatory language against some castes in her songs, which she sang and danced to during a function in February in Chakkarpur. Chaudhary, resident of Najafgarh in Delhi, is much followed on the internet.

Her releases are instant hits with the rural populace of Haryana.

The complainant Satpal Tanwar, president of a social front Nigahein, had said the song was leading to disharmony among social groups and action should be taken against the singer.

Tanwar, in the present case, alleged that one Yogender Singh Phogat, a solider posted with the Army’s electronics and mechanical engineers corps in Bhopal, called him on the night of September 4 and threatened him to withdraw his firsth information report against Chaudhary.

“He claimed to be a fan of Sapna’s and asked me to withdraw the case, else face dire consequences. I reported the matter to the police,” Tanwar said.

The police sent summons to Phogat’s father in Dabla village in Jhajjar district. He called his son and asked him to come to Gurgaon and join investigations. Phogat was arrested by Gurgaon police on Monday. He was produced in court on Tuesday and remanded in judicial custody.

The police said Phogat was reportedly in an inebriated condition when he called Tanwar. He used to watch Chaudhary’s performances on YouTube.