The Delhi High Court has disposed of a petition seeking constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to undertake an independent criminal investigation into the incident of alleged attack and vandalisation at the official residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on March 30.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad was on Thursday dealing with a plea moved by AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj, alleging that several Bharatiya Janata Party ‘goons’ had indulged in the said violence, in the garb of a protest.
During the course of hearing, the Counsel for the petitioner informed the court that in view of various status reports filed by Delhi Police in the matter from time to time, wherein the Delhi Police had given assurances and undertaken to implement several measures for augmenting security at the CM’s residence, the grievance raised in the petition stands satisfied.
In light of this submission, the Bench disposed of the plea, while directing Delhi Police to ensure that the measures taken in respect of security arrangements outside the CM’s residence were implemented, while following a strict adherence to the aforesaid.
Filed through Advocate Bharat Gupta, the plea, in addition to seeking a SIT probe into the alleged incident, sought for ensuring the security of Delhi’s Chief Minister, besides his residence in future.
Alleging that the attack in question was done by several BJP goons in the garb of a protest, the petition stated that Delhi Police, which is charged with the protection of the Delhi CM, completely abdicated its duty by not undertaking appropriate steps to stop the alleged attack at the first place, and thereafter by failing to take any concrete criminal action against the attackers.
As per the plea, “The attacks on elected officials are becoming a routine affair. If the perpetrators of the attack are not brought to justice and if responsibility is not fixed on the errant officers of Delhi Police, then the public will lose confidence in the rule of law and will lose its faith in the ability of police to protect it against political violence.”
It was further stated in the petition that though the petitioner strongly supported the right to protest peacefully, even if such protest was against the Delhi government, but in the name of protest, violence cannot and ought not be permitted and the same must be condoned.