Warrant against Sahib Singh

NEW DELHI, January 27: A delhi court today issued a non-bailable warrant against Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma for his failure'' ...

NEW DELHI, January 27: A delhi court today issued a non-bailable warrant against Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma for his “failure” to appear in the court as a complainant and a witness in a seven-year-old case despite six summons and a bailable warrant issued earlier.

The case was registered against some persons under the Arms Act on October 2, 1990 when Verma was not the Chief Minister. Verma, in a complaint registered with the Keshavpuram police station deposed that some persons armed with knives had picked up a quarrel in the area and a knife was recovered from a person named Sanjay.

Issuing the warrant, returnable by February 13, Metropolitan Magistrate, Vipin Kumar Gupta in his order said “keeping in view the totality of circumstances, I am of the opinion that the attendance of Sahib Singh can only be procured by issuance of coercive process.”

The magistrate said “the report of constable, sent to serve the bailable warrant ex-facie appears to be absurd and ironical.”

“Due to the continued absence of Sahib Singh Verma, a star witness and complainant in the case, the case is being persistently delayed. It is most unfortunate that in a span of seven years, only one witness could be examined by the court,” the magistrate said.

Gupta said Verma was deliberately avoiding appearing before the court. The court had issued summons against Verma for the first time on November 17, 1995, followed by five others.

The bailable warrant were returned back to the court unexecuted with a report by the police that Verma’s house in Keshavpuram was found locked.