Friday, 7 August,New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women has closed proceedings against AAP leader Kumar Vishwas on a complaint of party volunteer after he failed to appear before it and has handed over the matter to police to probe and take “action as per law”, the Delhi High Court was informed on Friday. The complainant had alleged that her life was ruined as Vishwas was not rebutting “rumours” about their alleged illicit relationship. Former DCW chairperson Barkha Singh’s counsel told Justice V P Vaish that even though the file of the complainant was closed by it, the Delhi police was given instruction to further probe and take “action as per law”.
“On June 23, 2015 none appeared except the respondent no.3 (the woman complainant) who pressed from the respondent no.1 and 2 (DCW and the then Chairperson). Singh on finding that the petitioner (Vishwas) and his wife intentionally avoided to join the proceedings of the DCW, closed the file of the respondent no. 3 with the instruction to the Delhi police for further investigation and action as per law,” advocate Rahul Kumar, appearing for Singh informed the court. He also stated that “she acted on the complaint filed by the woman before the DCW”.
“The allegation in the complaint and the relief sought for and the material produced in the support of the complaint was sufficient enough to issue summons against Vishwas. Therefore, the present writ petition filed by Vishwas is without any basis and abuse of process of law and court,” Singh’s counsel said, adding that she has already retired from the DCW and the petition now becomes infructuous.
The court, which was hearing a plea by Vishwas seeking stay on the summons issued to him by DCW, however, fixed the matter for further consideration on December 14. Meanwhile, the woman complainant, who was also present in the court in pursuance to court’s earlier order, submitted her response through advocate Inder Singh seeking dismissal of Vishwas’ petition. The woman’s counsel informed the court that they have given a separate complaint to the police, in which serious allegations have been made against Vishwas.
On May 22, the high court had refused to stay the DCW’s summons to Vishwas and issued notices to its then chairperson and the woman Aam Aadmi Party volunteer on the party leader’s plea. The court, while declining Vishwas’ prayer to stay the summons, had said let the respondents reply to his plea.
On May 15 too, the court had refused to give any interim relief to Vishwas on his plea challenging the summons issued to him by the DCW. He had questioned the authority of DCW to issue such summons claiming it had no jurisdiction to deal with the matter raised by the complainant. Vishwas had also sought that the woman be restrained from making any public statement. The Commission had first asked Vishwas, his wife and two others to appear before it on May 4 and later issued fresh summons for May 6 after they failed to appear.
Acting on the woman’s complaint, the Commission had said that the volunteer had worked for the party for a year in Amethi and now it was a matter of her respect and honour. So Kumar Vishwas should turn up and give his clarification.
The woman had said she had campaigned alongside Vishwas, who was pitted against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi during 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Demanding that Vishwas’ wife should come forward and give an explanation, the woman had said she had filed a complaint at Nand Nagri Police Station here on March 29. However, the police did not pay heed to her complaint, she had claimed.
PTI