CM Rekha Gupta attack: Delhi court directs police to provide FIR copy to accused

New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) A Delhi court has directed the city police to provide a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) to the man accused of attacking Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

Judicial Magistrate First Class Gaurav Goyal of the Tis Hazari Court observed that, as per a Supreme Court judgment, every accused is entitled to a copy of the FIR.

The case relates to the assault on Chief Minister Gupta during a 'Jan Sunwai' session at her Civil Lines residence on August 20. The assailant, identified as Rajesh Bhai Khimji Bhai Sakariya, a 41-year-old autorickshaw driver from Rajkot in Gujarat, had posed as a complainant before launching the attack.

Rajesh Sakariya handed some papers to the chief minister and referred to a court case before assaulting her.

Sakariya was arrested soon after the incident and booked on charges of attempted murder, assaulting a public servant, and obstructing official duties.

Later, he filed an application before the court stating that he had not been provided with a copy of the FIR.

The police opposed the plea, contending that the FIR had been declared sensitive under a police order and that the application was both premature and not maintainable.

However, the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) submitted that the FIR could be shared if the accused gave an undertaking not to disclose it to anyone else. The defence lawyer, appearing for Sakariya, argued that no such undertaking was mandated under the law.

After hearing all sides, the court ruled that the copy of the FIR must be handed over to the accused, rejecting the police's contention.

Additionally, Sakariya's criminal record, which emerged during the probe, revealed that at least five cases are registered against him at Bhaktinagar Police Station in Rajkot. He has been acquitted in four of them.

--IANS

sd/dpb