Delhi High Court refuses to stay trial in attempt to murder case linked to CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi High Court denied a stay on trial proceedings for two men accused of assaulting CM Rekha Gupta.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to immediately stay trial court proceedings against two men accused of assaulting Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta during a Jan Sunwai grievance redressal meeting at her camp office in Civil Lines on August 20, 2025.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

“No, no, no, stay. What is happening? I do not believe in staying something unless I am very clear that something wrong is going on or will go on. I do not see that at all,” a bench of justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani said.

Charges of attempt to murder

The court was dealing with a petition filed by the two men, Sakriya Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai and Tahseen Raza, against the trial court’s order framing charges against them. The trial court in December 2025 framed charges of attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy against the two.

The court noted that the victim, CM Gupta, was not only a woman but also the sitting CM of Delhi, and the accused, Rajeshbhai, managed to break into the security ring of the CM and attack her. It noted that although Rajeshbhai was distressed by the Supreme Court’s initial order to move all stray dogs to shelters, the CM had no role in passing that order.

The refusal was issued after the accused’s counsel, Harry Chibber and Sidhant Malik, urged the court to stay the proceedings, submitting that the next hearing was scheduled for April 25—when examination of evidence is set to begin—as the trial court had already summoned the medical chief, the examiner who prepared the MLC, and the chief minister’s PSO.

Accused cited ‘divine' instruction

The counsel further referred to the disclosure statement relied upon by the Delhi Police in Sakariya’s case, wherein he claimed that he had a vision of Lord Mahakal instructing him to travel to Delhi and carry out the act. He stated that he subsequently visited the temple of Lord Mahakal in Ujjain, where he placed two slips before the deity, and, believing that the deity had granted approval, proceeded on the basis that he had obtained divine permission to commit the act.

The chief minister was attacked on August 20 while attending a weekly public hearing at her camp office in Civil Lines. Rajeshbhai, an auto driver from Rajkot, who had posed as a complainant and entered the venue, was swiftly overpowered by security personnel and taken into custody.

In the charge sheet filed on October 18, the police alleged that Rajeshbhai was angered by Gupta over her alleged refusal to oppose the Supreme Court’s decision.

Police had said that Rajeshbhai arrived in Delhi from Rajkot on August 19, a day before the attack. He checked into the Gujarati Samaj guest house in Civil Lines, from where he allegedly carried out a recce of the CM’s official residence in Shalimar Bagh and her Civil Lines camp office. Raza was accused of conspiring with Rajeshbhai and giving him money to travel to the Capital.

During the hearing, the court also questioned Rajeshbhai’s presence at the Jan Sunwai, noting that he was not a resident of Delhi. “I still do not understand why you were in Delhi at all. Pardon me for saying this, but ordinarily, people who are taxi or auto drivers have to keep working every day, and they do not give up their work to show up in a state 100s of kilometres away to participate in a protest,” the bench said.

Next hearing on May 21

The bench on Wednesday also directed the forensics team to expedite the examination of the mobile phones of the two accused and submit its report within four weeks, noting that this was crucial to ascertain the connection between them. “I want to understand from the FSL report the connection between the two. One stays and the other participates in Jan Sunwai, which has nothing to do with the Supreme Court order. It’s important to know what is locked up in your cell phones,” the bench said.

The matter will be next heard on May 21.