Amid reports that the Delhi Police will soon file the chargesheet in the case of alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by AAP lawmakers, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed it a “fake” case against elected representatives and was “humiliating” to the people.
Prakash was allegedly attacked during a late-night meeting with Kejriwal and AAP lawmakers at the Chief Minister's residence in Civil lines area on the night of February 19.
“Mr Prime Minister, such fake case against elected representatives of Delhi is humiliating to the people,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. He asserted that the AAP Government will continue to serve people despite the “opposition” faced by it. “We will do our duty, you do yours,” he added, referring to the Prime Minister. The Delhi Police comes under the Union Home Ministry.
It may be noted that the Delhi Police had seized the hard disk connected to the CCTV camera system at Kejriwal's residence as part of its probe into the case. It has received the forensic test report of the CCTV camera system, which said the cameras did not show the actual time that night. “We are at an advanced stage of investigation and the chargesheet is being prepared,” a police officer said without elaborating.
Meanwhile, having taken strong objections to media reports about an anticipated chargesheet by the Delhi Police against Kejriwal and his Deputy Manish Sisodia in the case of alleged assault on Prakash at, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday launched an all out attack. AAP leaders came out with their own version of the whole episode, flagging several “loopholes” in the Delhi Police narrative.
“We have reiterated it since beginning that no physical assault on the Chief Secretary (CS) took place on that night. The easy way in which the CS went out of the CM's residence and boarded his car makes several things clear and it can be seen in CCTV footages too,” said Saurabh Bharadwaj, the AAP spokesperson.
He said that any form of criminal incident is generally reported first hand and immediately to the police however nothing of that sort happened in this episode.
“From there the CS went directly to the lieutenant Governor (l-G)'s House and not to the police station .The l-G was waiting for him at midnight and the Delhi Police Commissioner was also present. There, a conspiracy was plotted and next day a complaint was send to the concerned DCP by a lawyer,” he claimed.
Further, alleging that the Chief Secretary was medically examined after 24 hours of the episode and that too when AAP demanded. “In the medical report a swelling was reported behind the ear of CS because any doctor cannot afford to show swelling on face as CS came several times in the front of the media all throughout the day,” he said.
“Further the junior doctor, who medically examined Anshu Prakash,went on a long leave after that,” said Bharadwaj.
“Officers were forced to go on strike for four months by the CS in his personal case but later on strike withdrawn out of pressure from several quarters including common people, politicians and IAS officers' association,” he said.
Alleging, that chargesheeting Kejriwal and Sisodia is latest conspiracy to destabilise the Delhi Government as the four IAS officers who were not even present during the incident and who were actively participated in the “babus strike” recorded their statement to police against the CM and his deputy, Bharadwaj said.