Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's attacker charged with attempt to murder

India Today

A man attacked Delhi's Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, at her residence during a 'jansunwai' (public hearing). The accused, identified as Rajesh Sakariya from Gujarat, has been charged with attempt to murder.

Transcript

00:00The Delhi Chief Minister was attacked, remember, by a man in his 40s.

00:05Now, the attacker seems to have been booked for attempt to murder.

00:10Now, attempt to murder charge has been put on this attacker, Rajesh.

00:14For more on this, I'm joined by Amit Bharatwaj.

00:17He's standing outside the Delhi Chief Minister residence.

00:20Amit, attempt to murder charge.

00:23Do tell us how, you know, how serious is this charge

00:27and what kind of punishment does it avail in terms of if there is ever a conviction?

00:37Well, Anjali, if you look at the act of assault that has been carried out

00:42at the Chief Minister's residence while she was holding Jansunwai,

00:47this is possibly the most strict charge that could have been used

00:51against the accused in the case, Rajesh Sakarya.

00:54And that is why Delhi Police has chosen to stick with that, you know,

00:59harshest of charge possible in this particular case, that is attempt to murder.

01:03What we are given to understand that Rajesh Sakarya will be now tried

01:07under attempt to murder charges as well.

01:11While other charges, I'm sure, will be added in the FIR

01:14as far as this assault case is concerned.

01:17But this is the highest, you know, section that could have been actually pressed against him

01:22that has been already used.

01:24Now, Delhi Police, what we are given to understand,

01:26is also going to seek his remand in order to hold a very conclusive interrogation

01:32and connect the dots with the available footage, CCTV footage,

01:37which has been retrieved from the Chief Minister's residence area,

01:40as well as the way he, you know, conducted the entire assault on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

01:47Along with this, the details that are being, you know, gathered,

01:50the inputs that are being gathered from Gujarat.

01:53Now, the bigger question at this point in time continues to remain

01:57whether it is the very cause which is being cited by him and his family

02:02that because he's a dog lover and because of which he carried out this particular attack

02:07or was there any other motive behind this particular attack.

02:11So, that thorough interrogation will bring out the detail.

02:14But the major lapse in security of the Chief Minister also puts a big question mark

02:20on the Delhi Police's conduct within the Chief Minister's residence.

02:23Back to you.

02:24Right. Amir, do stay on with us.

02:25We'll give some details about this case and the investigation to our viewers.

02:30Well, multiple agencies are busy interrogating this accused.

02:34Now, IB, which is the Intelligence Bureau, and special cell teams are interrogating this accused Rajesh.

02:40Police will seek five to seven days' remand of the accused.

02:45Now, Rajesh, it is believed, came to Delhi from Rajkot by train yesterday morning.

02:50Now, Rajesh stayed at Gujarati Bhawan in civil lines.

02:54On the phone, Rajesh was talking to his friend in Gujarat

02:58that he had reached the Chief Minister's house in Shalimar Bagh as well.

03:02Remember, this is the Chief Minister's private residence in Shalimar Bagh.

03:08The accused, Rajesh, had come to Delhi for the first time.

03:12And this is what he did.

03:14He went ahead and attacked the Delhi Chief Minister during an event,

03:18which is called Jansunwai, where she meets the common people.

03:21So now, he has been booked under attempt to murder charges.

03:26Remember, this is one of the harshest charges that could have been put on Rajesh.

03:30Going back to Amit Bharadwaj right now, who is standing outside the Chief Minister's residence.

03:35Amit, let's try and understand this.

03:37This is not the first time that a Chief Minister of Delhi has been attacked.

03:42Now, we know that Rajesh attacked with his bare hands.

03:45No weapon.

03:46What were the charges that were brought up against the attackers of Arvind Kejriwal

03:51and versus what are being brought up against the current CM's attacker,

03:58if you have any information about that?

04:00Well, Anjali, you know, we also need to go through the crime record

04:09or the charges that have been pressed against Rajesh Akharia in the past as well.

04:15He seems to be, if you cannot call him history-seater,

04:18but certainly there were several other charges, allegations against him.

04:22In Gujarat itself, he had five cases filed against him,

04:27including one of, you know, assault with the sword.

04:31We are given to understand that as well.

04:34So, in this case, if you look at the four cases, he has been acquitted.

04:36One case is still going on.

04:38In Gujarat itself, he has to appear in a month from now.

04:43So, clearly, his history is not a clean slate.

04:46He seems to be someone who is notorious, involved in criminal acts

04:50and that is why these charges, different cases were pressed against him in Gujarat.

04:55So, Delhi police will certainly look into these details as well.

04:58But that question also triggers, you know, another question

05:01in respects to the security of the Delhi Chief Minister.

05:06This is not for the first time that a Delhi Chief Minister

05:08has been attacked in this manner and fashion.

05:11Before this, when Ahmadinejali was in power,

05:14Arvind Kejewal was attacked multiple times

05:16and every time the question mark was raised

05:19on Delhi police's security arrangements

05:21and the failure in Chief Minister's security.

05:24Now, this is a change in power.

05:26And the Delhi police reports to the Home Ministry,

05:29despite that there has been a major security lapse

05:32inside the Chief Minister's residence

05:34and certainly that angle is also being looked into.

05:38We are given to understand that Delhi police is already reviewing

05:41as to how this lapse happened within the premises of the Chief Minister

05:45where there should have been the least possibility

05:48for the attacker, for the assaulter to go ahead and carry out this attack.

05:53More so because this assaulter had shown documents from Gujarat.

05:58So, you know, how he was given an access this close to the Chief Minister,

06:03all of that will be investigated but you rightly pointed out

06:06that Rajesh Sakarya has a history of, you know, criminal records against him,

06:11cases against him and including a case where he has to appear in a month from now.

06:16All of these details will be brought together to connect the dots

06:19in the investigation along with a detailed statement

06:22that's been recorded from the accused in the case

06:25in order to also understand the motive behind the attack.

06:29Thank you, Amit.

06:31So, clearly this man has now been charged with attempt to murder.

06:35Remember his family is saying that he is mentally unstable,

06:38that he was not taking his medicines

06:40and that he has been doing such things

06:43ever since he heard about the order in Delhi regarding the stray dogs.

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