The Delhi Police scored many a hits in 2015 but not without some controversies. The force cracked a module of al-Qaeda, busted a spy ring backed by rogue Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan and blew the lid off an espionage racket involved in accessing classified papers from the Union Oil Ministry. The Delhi Police also courted controversy in the wake of a “raid” on a canteen at Kerala House in New Delhi district on allegations of beef being served there. Most of the Opposition parties as well as Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy condemned the action, saying the “raid” at the State guest house an attack on federal structure of the country.
Controversies apart, Delhi Traffic Police for the first time used helicopters in 2015 to monitor and regulate traffic movements on crowded Delhi road stretches on three occasions — Durga idol immersion, Diwali and during the India-Africa summit.
There was slanging match between the Delhi Police and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government over a surfeit of issues. The arrest of Delhi law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar for possessing a fake law degree was the talking point. If that was not enough, the force was involved in a game of hide and seek with former Delhi law Minister Somnath Bharti, who was wanted in a case of domestic violence lodged by his estranged wife.
Five AAP MlAs — Jitender Singh Tomar (then law Minister), Manoj Kumar, Commando Surender Singh, Somnath Bharti and Akhilesh Tripathi — were arrested in separate cases under charges that ranged from forgery and cheating to domestic violence, attempt to murder and provisions of the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act. This led to a virtual slugfest with the AAP leadership and the Delhi Government.
The tussle between the Delhi Police and the AAP Government kept taking turns. The AAP had strongly opposed appointment of MK Meena, Joint Commissioner of Police as the chief of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB). The party even accused the Delhi Police of being the “most corrupt” on the basis of a survey.
The row intensified with the AAP Government alleging Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi of corruption in connection with his membership at a housing society and procurement of apartments — one of which Bassi had sold to his brother.
While the ACB did not flinch in initiating probes against even the seniormost Government officials in connection with alleged “scams” that ranged from CNG fitness certification to procurement of onions, the top cop sparred back countering allegations one after another.
The probe into mysterious death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, who was found dead at a 5-star hotel on January 17 last year, remained a mystery despite a case of murder being registered in connection with it. Pushkar’s viscera samples were sent to FBI’s lab in the US, but the report — which is now again being analysed by a medical board here — did not clear the air, even as conspiracy theories continued to fly thick and fast.
Cases of sexual assault on women and children continued to witness a rise with records revealing that as many as 1,856 rape cases were reported till October 31 and in 824 of them, the victims are reported to be below 18 years. In 2014, 2,166 rape cases were reported, in which 1,004 pertained to minors.
A number of cases of rapes of minors triggered outrage against police. There were protests following rape of a four-year-old girl at northwest Delhi’s Keshav Puram area. Rape of two other minors — aged two and seven years — at East Delhi’s Anand Vihar and West Delhi’s Nihal Vihar in October led to criticism against police.
In February, with the arrest of 13 people — including five corporate executives, a scribe and an energy consultant — Delhi Police’s Crime Branch cracked open an espionage network which allegedly stole secret documents from offices, including that of the Oil and Petroleum Ministry.
In April, Delhi Police’s Special Cell tracked down wanted gangster Neeraj Bawana, while his maternal uncle, former Independent MlA from Mundka Rambir Shokeen, now declared proclaimed offender by a court, continues to be at large.
The murder of former Najafgarh MlA Bharat Singh outside a private function on March 29 also kept the sleuths on their toes. Six people were arrested by the Crime Branch within a fortnight in the case.
In June, the Delhi Police exposed three modules allegedly involved in arranging school admissions under quota reserved for people from economically weaker sections and arrested 10 people under three separate cases.