Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti’s attempt to carry out a
surprise raid to bust a prostitution and drug peddling racket in a house of Ugandan women at south Delhi’s
Khirki Extension ended in a roadside heated argument with Delhi Police on January
14 night.
During the three hour long visit, Bharti alleged that police
refused to conduct a raid and arrest several foreigners accused of being
involved in flesh trade. The minister further claimed that he tried to contact
Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi and Deputy Commissioner of Police
(South) B S Jaiswal, but they remained unavailable.
Police have set up a probe over the incident and will report
to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.
According to Bharti, he went to the area at midnight after
recieving multiple complaints during Jan Sammelan. Apart from being the
minister, the 39-year-old Aam Admi Party leader represents Malviya Nagar
constituency in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
“I had received people's complaints about a sex trade and
drug peddling racket flourishing in the locality with the help of foreign
nationals, mostly Nigerians. Locals claim that they are facing trouble because
of this,” he said.
As Khirki Extension falls in his constituency, the minister
decided to visit the area along with police and catch the women red-handed.
“Some of the women tried to run away when I went here with police. Two of them
were stopped,” Bharti said, adding that people were heard discussing rates for
prostitutes.
Police claim that Bharti then tried to force them to conduct
a search on a building without a warrant, and question women, which is
prohibited after dark. The minister says in “emergency situations”, a warrant
is not necessary. Bharti was also involved in a heated argument with an
Assistant Commissioner of Police, while his supporters created a lot of
commotion.
“Police were not ready to conduct a search or raid the
premises. They did not even listen to me, the law minister. Will they listen to
people?” Bharti said.
Bharti said that Malviya Nagar police station SHO Vijay Pal
had come to the spot, but went away without taking any action. He was present
there for around three hours during which at least six foreigners were detained
and taken to Malviya Nagar police station. One of the women, a Nigerian
national, was sent for a medical examination to AIIMS and was found drug-free.
A day after on January 16, the Delhi Police reacted strongly
to Law Minister Somnath Bharti asking them to conduct a raid at two foreign
national’s house at Khirki Extension in Malviya Nagar late night on Wednesday.
Calling his behaviour ‘irresponsible’, the senior officials
have written a letter to the Lieutenant Governor, giving him a blow by blow
account of what Bharti did on Wednesday night. The officials also maintained
that if there is a need, they will take a legal action against Bharti.
According to the police, Bharti called them to a house in
Khiri Extension late at night and told them that two foreign national
(Nigerian) women are running a prostitution racket from the house. “He made a
call to the control room, after which a PCR van reached the spot and later when
the local police reached there Bharti asked them to conduct raid at the house
and arrest the housemates alleging them to be sex-workers and drug addicts.
When a senior police official denied conducting a raid without a search
warrant, Bharti forced the officer to conduct a raid, accused him of not
performing his duty and also alleged in a verbal spat with him.”
After a brief attempt to convince Bharti on not being able
to conduct a raid without a warrant, the senior officer finally asked the two
Nigerian nationals to come for a medico legal test at All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The test did not confirm any amount of drugs or
psycotropic substances in their blood and the women were released subsequently,
added the officer.
According to the
Delhi police officials, Bharti had no right to ask the police to raid a house
as they did not have a search warrant and as per the amended CrPC provisions
police cannot take action against women after sunset.
The officials have mentioned all these details in the letter
written to the LG. According to sources, the letter mentions that the Delhi
government ministers Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla behaved in an irresponsible
manner. The points that they have given to prove their argument are- Minister
did not follow the laid down protocol of conducting a raid, they visited a
crime scene/incident without keeping the police in the loop, interfered with
police's work, rather than informing the police first, the minister reached the
spot on his own and took an action.
Later in the day, the Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said
that the force is ‘competent enough’ to ensure the safety of the people of the
city.
Bassi said: “I would like to assure the people of the city
that Delhi Police is competent enough to ensure the safety and security of its
citizen. Delhi police is taking every possible step to keep you safe.”
The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had demanded suspension of the
police officers in Malviya Nagar whom he claimed did not co-operate with Bharti
on Wednesday.
Replying to a question whether the concerned police
officials would be suspended, Bassi said “I will seek information about the
incident and appropriate action will be taken after that”
No comments:
Post a Comment