Raghav Chadha seeks court-monitored probe in DJB office vandalism case

Delhi Jal Board vice chairman and AAP MLA Raghav Chadha moved a court here on Saturday seeking a court-monitored investigation in the case of alleged vandalism of his office and attack on staff members in December last year.

New Delhi: Delhi Jal Board vice chairman and AAP MLA Raghav Chadha moved a court here on Saturday seeking a court-monitored investigation in the case of alleged vandalism of his office and attack on staff members in December last year.

The application was filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ganjender Singh Nagar.

The application, filed through advocate Prashant Manchanda, alleged that the attack was orchestrated by BJP Delhi president Adesh Gupta and party leaders Yogendra Chandoliya, Ravi Tanwar Upadhyaksh and Vikas Tanwar.

It said that the application is being filed due to alleged inaction coupled with dereliction of duties by police, which aggravated the rampage meted out by the offenders who unleashed the "abominable" attack on the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and its staff on December 24 last year.

Around 200 to 250 BJP workers allegedly vandalised the DJB headquarters in broad daylight, the application alleged.

"The incident of violence was aggravated due to the conspicuous inaction on the part of the Delhi Police which nonchalantly stood as mute spectators while the mob created havoc and illegally trespassed the DJB headquarters and woefully ravaged the public property of DJB," it said.

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The application also sought the court''s directions to the deputy commissioner of police concerned to file an action taken report regarding the steps taken by the Delhi Police in view of the alleged "partisan and biased actions and attitude displayed by policemen in the viral video of the incident".

It further sought registration of an FIR against the alleged delinquent police officials for illegal omission to perform their duty.

The mob damaged furniture, destroyed computers and printers, tore and brought down pictures of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and caused harm to the staff, injuring and intimidating them, the application said.

It claimed that the allegations can be primarily buttressed by CCTV camera footage.

The application alleged that police lodged an FIR frivolously under trivial sections without any headway whatsoever using the COVID-19 pandemic as a shield.

"It is an attack on the state machinery and democracy and thus requires a court-monitored unbiased and impartial investigation to meet the ends of justice and upholding the rule of law in its true spirit," the application said.

The BJP had earlier denied the allegations that it was behind the vandalism.

PTI