The Delhi Police on Monday told the Delhi High Court that it will soon file a chargesheet in the case registered to probe the recent vandalism outside Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence during the protest held by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha on March 31. The court was also told that departmental action has been taken in the matter against police officers. The division bench of acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Sachin Datta was told that eight persons were arrested in the case and 20 more were issued notices under Section 41A CrPC. “The chargesheet will be submitted in the next coming days,” DCP (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said during the hearing of a petition by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj seeking constitution of a Special Investigation Team for an independent probe in the case. The court directed police to share the latest status report in a sealed cover with the Chief Minister’s Secretariat since it concerns security arrangements being made with respect to his residence. However, the court declined to share the report with the petitioner, saying it contains details related to the security arrangements which cannot be made public. Seeking a further status report in the case, the court listed the matter for further hearing on July 21. The disclosure regarding departmental action being taken against police in the case was made by Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain who submitted that the police may be permitted to redact the part pertaining to disciplinary action before sharing the report with the CM’s Secretariat. Jain described it as an internal matter of police. However, the court overruled the objection. “The whole issue concerns the lapses. The fact that there are lapses, nobody can deny. Therefore about the action taken…you will not redact anything. You give it as it is,” observed the court. The court in the status report was also told that no assembly of protestors will be allowed at the Civil Lines Metro station. Police has also informed the court that gates will be put on both sides of Flagstaff road, where Kejriwal’s residence is located, to discourage protests. The gates will be put to use in case of need, according to police. The disclosure regarding the measures mentioned in the report was made by Justice Sanghi during the hearing. On April 25, the court had rapped police for its “failure” to prevent vandalism outside Kejriwal’s residence and said that the force needs to seriously look at its efficiency and functioning. On March 30, the members of BJP’s youth wing broke through police barricades outside Kejriwal’s residence and slammed the main gate. The court had said that the Commissioner of Delhi Police should inquire whether the security arrangements were adequate and the reasons for failure of the arrangements made. The court also had asked the city’s top cop to fix the responsibility for the lapse “which admittedly has occurred”. Bhardwaj in the petition has sought a probe into the role of police officers who were responsible for maintaining the security cordon outside the CM’s residence. Besides seeking a direction for appropriate security outside Kejriwal’s residence, the petition also prays for compliance of an earlier court order for securing the road outside his residence.
