Cops file chargesheet against Qureshi,but yet to arrest him fearing ‘unrest’

VK Gupta,lawyer of constable Chahan Singh Balyan whom Qureshi had attacked,said that the court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate V P Verma has issued notice to the MLA and fixed the case for November 20.

Earlier,the police had lodged an FIR against the MLA on the order of a local court. Qureshi was suspended from the BSP on September 26 after he allegedly made objectionable comments about the Sikh community during the inauguration of a slaughter house. In 2006,he had announced a reward of Rs 51 crore for anyone who would behead the Danish cartoonist who had made a caricature of the Prophet.

According to Balyan,Qureshi attacked him on February 17 when he,along with some other constables,was deployed at the Hapur Adda crossing for the Ravidas Jayanti procession. At 7 pm,a jeep without a number plate and blaring a hooter,arrived. One of the policemen told the jeep driver that no vehicle was allowed to go on the Brahmapuri road due to the procession. The jeep driver abused the policeman for daring to stop him and told him that the vehicle belonged to MLA Qureshi,who was following in a SUV.

Balyan told the driver to behave and switch off the hooter. In the meantime,Qureshi’s SUV arrived. From inside,Qureshi started hurling abuses at Balyan for stopping the vehicle. Balyan told him that he had instructions not to allow any vehicle on the Brahmapuri road. An angry Qureshi then got off the car,caught Balyan by the collar and slapped him. His men from two other vehicles also thrashed the constable and tore his uniform. Other constables and locals intervened and requested the MLA to spare the constable.

Balyan later informed the SP (City) about the incident and even gave him a complaint,but no FIR was lodged. After a month,Balyan moved court.