The Delhi Police was left embarrassed on Thursday after images and visuals started surfacing online of the self-styled godwoman Radhe Maa sitting on the chair of a SHO of an East Delhi police station.
Following which, SHO Vivek Vihar and an Assistant Sub-Inspector have been placed under suspension and four other police personnel have been sent to district lines.
While in one incident, the SHO of Vivek Vihar, Sanjay Sharma, is allegedly seen folding hands and wearing a red chola (a cloth of religious significance) while Sukhwinder Kaur alias Radhe Maa is seen sitting on his seat inside the police station, in the second incident, a group of policemen from GTB Enclave police station are seen singing with the godwoman at a Ramlila. Senior police officers of the Eastern Range confirmed that both the incidents took place on the night of September 28.
Explaining the sequence of events, a senior official privy to the investigation told The Pioneer, “Radhe Maa first went to the Vivek Vihar police station at around 12.30 am. The self-styled godwoman was invited to attend a Ramlila programme at Dilshad Garden. She wanted to use the washroom, therefore, she came to the police station. After sitting at the seat of the SHO Sanjay for a few minutes, she left the police station. Thirty minutes later, she went to attend the Ramlila at GTB Enclave where she was purportedly surrounded by five policemen. These included two Assistant Sub-Inspectors, a Head Constable and two Constables from the GTB enclave police station.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Nupur Prasad said, “The seat of an SHO comes with responsibility. On the basis of preliminary findings of the enquiry, it was found that it is a matter of professional misconduct and, therefore, SHO Vivek Vihar and ASI Braj Bhushan have been suspended with immediate effect and further action will be taken after detailed enquiry.”
In the photographs uploaded on the social media purportedly taken at the Vivek Vihar police station, she also makes an appearance in a video recorded at a Ramlila function at GTB Enclave where five policemen from the GTB Enclave police station are seen singing patriotic songs as she sways to their tune.
The five policemen in the video — uploaded on the godwoman’s Facebook page — are Assistant Sub-Inspectors Braj Bhushan and Radhe Krishan, Head Constable Pramod, and Constables Hitesh and Ravinder, a senior police officer said.
Ravindra Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern Range) said, “An additional Deputy Commissioner of police-rank officer has begun an enquiry into the matter.”
Radhe Maa had attracted the media attention when a Mumbai-based woman, earlier this year, had approached the Bombay High Court allegeding that she had instigated her in-laws to harass her for dowry. In 2015, a BJP MlA from Gujarat had demanded a probe against the Radhe Maa in connection with a case where seven members of a family had committed suicide.