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The Delhi high court on Monday expressed its dissatisfaction with the status report filed by Delhi Police regarding the arrangement made for securing chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. The court said the 'bandobast' made at the CM's residence and the road leading to it was inadequate and it had failed to prevent some miscreants from reaching the gate of Kejriwal’s house and vandalising the area and destroying public property.
A bench of acting chief justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla was hearing a petition filed by AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj seeking an SIT probe into the attack at the CM's residence. The court said there was a failure on the part of the police force and the department should have ensured that nothing happened. The bench said the commissioner of police should give a report on this. It said the incident at the residence of a constitutional functionary is a very disturbing state of affairs. “It is an important facet of our democracy, irrespective of the ideology,” the court said. “Some responsibility has to be fixed so that remedial action is taken... Because this is an important facet of democracy. Irrespective of our ideologies, irrespective of whichever ideologies we belong to... Just like we say that the Prime Minister is the PM of the country, nobody can say that he is not my prime minister. It is the constitutional office that we are concerned (about),” the court said.
According to a status report submitted by the Delhi Police, four places had been barricaded in the area. The miscreants, according to the status report, were able to breach the four sports and reach the CM's residence.
During the hearing, additional solicitor general (ASG) Sanjay Jain said an investigation was underway and all the accused had been identified by video footage. He added all of them were given a 41A notice to join the investigation. He said few persons came from outside, while stating there would be no compromise on the investigation. He also said the lapse on the part of the police officers would be probed by a senior IAS-level officer.
The court said, “In our view, the aforesaid lapse is a serious one and should be looked at by the commissioner of police. He should examine first whether bandobast was adequate, the reasons for the failure of the arrangements made and fix the responsibility for the lapse which admittedly has occurred. As we are about to dictate further, additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain said the reviews of the security of the CM's residence is being undertaken and steps are being taken. Let a further status report be filed in terms of this order while also disclosing the aspect of with regard to the review of the security arrangements at the CM's residence and what steps have been taken so that such incidents are prevented.” Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the petitioner, compared the CM's security breach to that of the PM in Punjab and cited the Supreme Court's ruling on the matter. “We're not served with the status report submitted by Delhi Police. Those seen in the video were felicitated by political powers. The Supreme Court had recently passed directions for the PM’s security lapse. But here people broke three-level barricades of the CM's house.”
He also informed the court that all the accused, arrested in connection with the incident were felicitated.
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