NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has filed a chargesheet against 30 people in connection with the protest and vandalism at the residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in March this year. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has been named in the chargesheet. Apart from invoking multiple IPC sections, people have been charged based on their offence and role established during investigation. “Apart from the offence of participating in an illegal gathering, 10 people have been booked for vandalising government property,” said a senior police officer.
‘Protesters at CM house ignored pleas by police’
A 1,000-page chargesheet against 30 people, including BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, by Delhi Police in connection with the protest and vandalism incident at the residence of CM Arvind Kejriwal was filed on July 20.
Police claimed that despite telling the BJP protesters and their leaders that they could only agitate at a particular place and that they didn’t have permission, they didn’t comply. Despite requests to not do so, they allegedly broke barricades. The gathering was declared unlawful. The protesters were accused of violating the directions of police not at one stage, but at three different security layers. The police report stated the protesters had no regard even for the directions issued by the Delhi high court that no protest was allowed at the CM’s house. They even caused damage to public property and injured policemen.
Those charged include Chander Kant Bharadwaj, Naveen Kumar, Neeraj Dixit, Sunny, Jitender Singh Bisht, Pradeep Kumar Tiwari, Raju Kumar Singh and Bablu Kumar. They were also among the first to be arrested in the case. The accused were charged after their location at the protest site and identity was confirmed using CCTV footage, electronic surveillance and call detail records. The IPC sections include 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
On March 30, BJP youth wing members had allegedly vandalised property outside Kejriwal’s residence against his remarks on “The Kashmir Files”. CCTV footage showed some protesters casually walking through the police security cordon and kicking the boom barriers, breaking CCTV cameras with sticks, throwing paint at the gate, and attempting to climb over the entrance gate. On Thursday, Delhi Police filed a status report before the high court in a sealed cover. In May, police had informed the court that two gates were being installed on both ends of the road leading to the CM’s residence. While 60% of the work was complete, it would conclude within a few days.
