The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the police to hand over the status report on its investigation in connection with the vandalism outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s home to his secretariat, Bar and Bench reported.
The report, which was handed over to the court on Monday, contained details of the measures taken by the police to improve security arrangements at the chief minister’s home. It also had information about the action taken against police officers who failed to stop the attack.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Sachin Datta refused to accept Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain’s request to edit some parts of the report before submitting it to the chief minister.
The portion that Jain wanted to redact contains details about the departmental inquiries initiated against the Delhi Police officials who were held responsible for “serious lapses” in providing security, reported Bar and Bench.
“The whole issue concerns lapses,” the judges said. “We have observed that there have been lapses, therefore the issue about disciplinary action should also be given. You will not redact anything. Give the entire report.”
The deputy commissioner of police (North Delhi), who was in the court during the hearing, said that eight people were arrested and later released on bail. He added that notices were served to 20 others in connection with the case.
The High Court directed the Delhi Police to file another status report giving details of the progress of its investigation into the first information report filed in connection with the attack, Bar and Bench reported.
The report should contain details of the people arrested or questioned in the case, the court added.
The case
The court was hearing Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj’s plea seeking a Special Investigation Team inquiry into the attack on the chief minister’s home for his remarks about The Kashmir Files film.
The incident occurred on March 30, when a group of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers, led by the outfit’s president and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya, had held protests outside Kejriwal’s home.
The Aam Aadmi Party had alleged that BJP members broke CCTV cameras and security barriers at Kejriwal’s home despite Delhi Police officers being present at the scene.
A day after the attack, the police said they have arrested eight members of the outfit in connection with the vandalism based on the CCTV footage.
On April 6, the youth wing members were denied bail by a Delhi court that had said that the accused men had intentionally exceeded their fundamental right to protest peacefully. They had then moved to the Delhi High Court, which on April 14 granted them bail on a surety bond of Rs 35,000.
After being released, the eight youth wing members were felicitated by Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta.
On April 25, the Delhi High Court had said that the vandalism reflects a “disturbing state of affairs” and highlighted a clear failure on the part of the police.
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