Delhi: Six, including three minors, held for assaulting teacher

Police said Kaptaan Singh was assaulted by a group of men, allegedly associates of an independent MCD poll candidate, for “not voting for him”

Police said Kaptaan Singh, an English teacher at a school in Khanpur, had sustained a leg fracture and several wounds.

TWO DAYS after a 51-year-old government school teacher was assaulted by a group of men for not voting for a independent candidate, who had contested the MCD polls, police have arrested six persons and apprehended three minors in connection with the case. Police said the men were associates of the independent candidate, Rajesh Kumar. Police said Kaptaan Singh, an English teacher at a school in Khanpur, had sustained a leg fracture and several wounds.

“During questioning, we found that the arrested accused are alleged supporters Kumar, who was contesting from ward no 77 in Sangam Vihar. The complainant resides in the same colony as the candidate but he did not support Kumar. Thus, they all thought that Singh was responsible for Kumar’s defeat and assaulted him,” said additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chinmoy Biswal. Singh was allegedly assaulted on Devli-Khanpur road, next to a Valmiki chaupal.

Soon after, a case was registered at Neb Sarai police station. A team was formed under Kuldeep Singh, SHO Neb Sarai, to nab the accused. Police said during investigation, CCTV footage from three different cameras was scanned, following which one of the attackers was identified. “Raids were conducted at the attacker’s house. After his arrest, we came to know that it was done under the direction of one Rajesh alias Dhanshu. Based on his statement, four persons and three minor accused were arrested,” said Biswal.

Police said Rajesh — who is involved in three cases, including an attempt to murder case — is a close associate of the independent candidate. “Kumar got 3,511 votes in ward number 77-S, while the winner got 5,007 votes. He lost by just 1,500 votes. During investigation, the attackers, who were his supporters, said the teacher was one of the few persons responsible for the loss. We are also investigating if the independent candidate was involved in the assault as well,” said a police source.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the teacher said Rajesh had asked him to vote for the independent candidate before the elections. “I had told them that I won’t reveal who I am voting for. I did not show them any support. This had possibly irked them and on Friday afternoon, around 10 people stopped my motorbike and assaulted me with a hammer, an iron rod and another sharp object. I have received injuries on my thigh, head and back, besides a fractured leg,” he said.

Biswal added that the accused, barring one, used aliases starting with alphabet ‘A’ so that they could be lodged in same jail while in judicial custody.

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