Court asks police to file report in vandalism at DJB office
Metropolitan Magistrate Gajender Singh Nagar asked the SHO of the police station concerned to file the report and posted the matter for further hearing on February 15.
A Delhi court on Tuesday sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the city police on a plea by AAP MLA Raghav Chadha, seeking registration of FIR against Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta, other BJP leaders and unknown persons in connection with vandalism at the Delhi Jal Board office on December 24, 2020.
Metropolitan Magistrate Gajender Singh Nagar asked the SHO of the police station concerned to file the report and posted the matter for further hearing on February 15.
Chadha, through his counsel, Prashant Manchanda alleged that the Delhi police have failed to discharge its duties properly and registered an FIR under “trivial” sections like disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, negligence and common intention against unknown persons.
Also read: Front line staff to get Covid jabs later this week; 77 centres added
While seeking monitoring of the investigation by the court, Chadha has also sought additions of sections of unlawful assembly, harming a public servant on duty and relevant sections of the Epidemic Act.
The plea has also sought registration of FIR against the police officers for diluting the material facts and not discharging their duties properly. It has contended that despite a PCR call from a woman employee of the DJB, who was trapped inside when the attack was happening, a belated FIR was registered by the police on a complaint by the Head constable.
The plea had also contended that violence was aggravated owing to the conspicuous inaction on the part of Delhi police “who nonchalantly stood as mute spectators while the riotous mob created havoc and illegally trespassed the Delhi Jal Board Headquarters and woefully ravaged the public property of the DJB.
Around 200 to 250 BJP workers had allegedly vandalised the DJB headquarters in broad daylight, the plea said.
Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said, “Our protest was peaceful. As we entered the DJB office to try meet CEO of the board, some Aam Aadmi Party volunteers infiltrated and it were they who indulged in violence. It is really shocking to see the reaction of AAP leaders of approaching a city court to get FIR registered as this party owes its birth to agitational politics and here we find AAP leaders trying to threaten Delhi BJP to take back its agitation against financial irregularities in DJB or face manipulated FIRs.”