Sultanpuri accident: CM calls for death penalty; LG office hits back at AAP remarks

The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday protested outside lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena over “poor handling” of the horrific Sultanpuri accident by the Delhi Police and demanded his resignation

The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday protested outside lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena over “poor handling” of the horrific Sultanpuri accident by the Delhi Police and demanded his resignation. The party also alleged that one of the accused, Manoj Mittal, is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and that the police were protecting him.

New Delhi: Police use water cannons to disperse the AAP supporters during a protest over Sultanpuri incident, outside Delhi L-G Vinay Saxena's residence, in New Delhi, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023. (PTI Photo)(PTI01_02_2023_000193B) (PTI)

Both the LG office and the BJP hit back at the AAP, accusing the party of politicising the incident.

Hitting out at the LG, AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “LG VK Saxena has turned Delhi Police into a ‘toothless elephant’. He has weakened the police system to such an extent that the policemen could not even stop the car dragging the girl for an hour. The BJP leader dragged a girl for 12 km under his car and the police are saying they (accused) did not get to know about it due to loud music. Is this some joke?”

He added, “I want the LG to suspend officers who did not take action in the case. I also demand the central government to suspend LG Saxena. Why is a person like him who has never lived in Delhi in-charge of the safety of our daughters?”

The LG office hit back, saying the lieutenant governor was busy fixing projects where the AAP government has failed, citing Saxena’s visit to the Najafgarh drain on December 31.

Officials at the LG office said that in the context of the accident, the LG has been busy discharging his duties. “Saurabh Bharadwaj should first think and ask himself, isn’t what LG is doing far better than going on an incommunicado holiday for 8 days, that his Boss and AAP Covenor, Arvind Kejriwal did? Isn’t what LG doing far responsible than making a 2 line self serving political statement, that the CM of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal did today, at a Bus launch function?,” the LG office said in a statement.

AAP MLAs Atishi, Durgesh Pathak, Sanjeev Jha, Kuldeep Kumar and party workers protested outside LG House on Monday, and claimed that the capital has become a “crime city”.

Atish said, “Throughout the day, the LG only indulges in unnecessary politics and tries to obstruct all the works of the Delhi government. One of the key tasks of the LG office is to keep Delhi safe for its residents, but the LG has no time apart from indulging in politics. We would like to know if the LG has done even one thing to keep the women in Delhi safe in his year-long tenure until now. We firmly want to tell him that if he cannot do his job and ensure the safety of women in Delhi then he should tender his resignation.”

Officials at LG secretariat said that the LG is monitoring the situation on a “real-time basis” and has asked the police commissioner that every aspect of the Sultanpuri incident should be looked into. “Strictest possible sections/provisions of IPC be invoked against the accused, who are already in custody. The LG also asked the police commissioner to ascertain whether there was any lapse on part of the police and directed that responsibility be fixed for any lapse or laxity on part of the police,” said an official at the LG office.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal spoke to the LG about the incident on Monday. Kejriwal tweeted, “Spoke to Hon’ble LG on Kanjhawala incident. Requested him to take exemplary action against culprits, strictest sections of IPC shud be slapped against them. No leniency shud be showed even if they have high political connections. He assured that he will take strong action.”

While the BJP has not taken any action against Mittal, party’s Delhi unit spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor wrote to Delhi LG demanding that the five accused be tried for murder. “Sultanpuri - Kanjhawala incident is not a case of ordinary car accident but a case of planned murder of a woman after the accident …They have all conspired and killed the woman and should be tried under section 302 & 120 B as well,” Kapoor said.

Delhi BJP leader Harish Khurana said the BJP demands the hanging of all the five accused, and asked Bharadwaj to answer about “lack of streetlight and CCTV camera” at the accident spot.