Delhi, 29 October (H.S.): The Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to accelerate its investigation into a 2019 case involving the alleged defacement of public property, with former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal named among the three accused.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal has instructed the police to submit a detailed status report on the investigation by December 3, which is also the date set for the next hearing.

During Wednesday's proceedings, the investigating officer for the case requested additional time to conduct the probe. The officer informed the court that while former MLA Gulab Singh and former councilor Nikita Sharma have already been questioned, investigators still need to interrogate Kejriwal.

The officer stated that more time was needed as Kejriwal is currently not in Delhi. Following this submission, the court mandated that the investigation be completed expeditiously.This development follows an update on August 27, when the investigating officer confirmed receipt of a forensic report and had issued a notice to Kejriwal to join the probe.

The Delhi Police have filed an FIR against all three individuals in connection with the case.The order to file the FIR was initially given by the court on March 11, acting on a petition filed by complainant Shiv Kumar Saxena. The complaint pertained to large banners and hoardings displayed in several locations across Dwarka in South-West Delhi in 2019, which featured the names of Kejriwal, Gulab Singh, and Sharma.

In its observations, the court noted that the placement of such large banners not only constitutes defacement of public property but also creates a significant public safety issue. The court remarked that these hoardings can distract drivers, posing a safety risk to both pedestrians and vehicles. It also pointed out that fatalities resulting from the collapse of illegal hoardings are not uncommon in the country.

The court expressed its surprise at the initial Action Taken Report filed by the Delhi Police, which had claimed that no hoardings were found at the specified locations during their inspection. Criticizing this report, the court ordered the police to identify who printed and installed the banners to ascertain the facts of the matter. The FIR was lodged under Section 3 of the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar