New Delhi, March 18 (H.S.): The Delhi Police has not yet registered an FIR against former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and two other accused in the case of defacement of public property in 2019. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal of the Rouse Avenue court has granted the Delhi Police time until March 28 to register the FIR.

In fact, the petitioner had lodged a complaint in 2019 regarding the installation of large hoardings at several locations in Dwarka, southwest Delhi. During the hearing on Tuesday, the SHO of Dwarka South police station filed a petition in court requesting a copy of the complaint so that an FIR could be registered based on it. The court approved this application, ordering that a certified copy of the complaint be provided to the SHO. On March 11, the court had ordered the registration of an FIR against Arvind Kejriwal, former MLA Gulab Singh, and the then councillor of Dwarka, Nikita Sharma, based on the application of the complainant Shiv Kumar Saxena.

During the hearing, petitioner Shiv Kumar Saxena showcased the large banners that bore the names of Kejriwal, Gulab Singh, and Nikita Sharma. The court stated that putting up large banners not only constitutes a case of defacing public property but also poses a problem for traffic. It distracts drivers passing by, creating safety risks for pedestrians and vehicles alike. The court mentioned that the narrative of people dying due to the collapse of illegal hoardings in the country is not new. The court stated that it would not be appropriate to order the complainant to present evidence in this matter. The investigating agency cannot turn a blind eye to its responsibilities.

The court expressed surprise at the action taken report filed by the Delhi Police in this matter, stating that no action had been taken. The Delhi Police had mentioned in their action taken report that there were no hoardings present at the time of the investigation. Subsequently, the court instructed the Delhi Police to locate those who printed and installed the hoardings to ascertain the facts of the matter.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar