Delhi Police registers attempt to murder case against accused who attacked CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi Police has registered a case under section 109(1) (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita against the accused who attacked Delhi CM Rekha Gupta on Wednesday.

"In the matter of attack on Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, a case u/s 109(1) BNS (attempt to murder) has been registered at PS Civil Lines. Accused has been taken into police custody. Further investigation is going on. We are investigating it from all the possible angles," Delhi Police said in its statement.

Gupta was attacked during a Jan Sunvai event, an open house for public grievances, at her residence.

The accused has been identified as Rajesh Sakriya, a 41-year-old resident of Rajkot in Gujarat. His mother said that he is a passionate dog lover who was disturbed by the Supreme Court’s recent order directing stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to be rounded up and shifted to shelters.

"My son loves dogs. He was angry after the Supreme Court's order against stray dogs. And left for Delhi soon after. We don't know anything else," Sakriya's mother Bhanu told the media.

During the Jan Sunwai programme at the CM’s Civil Lines camp office, Sakriya allegedly handed over some papers to Gupta before suddenly grabbing her hand and attempting to pull her. A brief commotion followed before security personnel and the public subdued him.

Delhi minister Parvesh Sahib Singh informed that the accused had conducted a recce of her residence for the past 24 hours and was plotting to meet the chief minister. He stated that the accused spent the night near her residence and attacked her during the public meeting.

While Gupta escaped without major injury, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said she was “shaken” but safe. He denied reports that the CM was slapped or hit, saying the incident appeared to be a scuffle after the man tried to pull her.