New Delhi: Delhi Police has told a court here that it does not have jurisdiction to hear a plea filed against six persons, including Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, for questioning the surgical strikes carried out by the Army last year. The police in a status report filed before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gagandeep Singh said the alleged offensive statements were not made in area, of which this court has jurisdiction. The report was filed by officials of Jagatpuri police station here.
The submission, however, was opposed by complainant’s advocate Rakshpal Singh, who said even if the offence was committed at different places, a zero FIR can be lodged at another place and later transferred to the police station concerned for further investigation. He said he would place several judgements on the next date of hearing in support of his arguments. The court said, “Status report (by police) has been filed. Put up for arguments on March 22.”
The court was hearing a complaint filed by east Delhi resident Pravesh Kumar against six persons– Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Sanjay Nirupam, Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra and actor Om Puri. The police also sought deletion of Om Puri’s name from the complaint following his death.
The court had earlier directed the police to file an action taken report on the complaint which alleged that six persons had termed the surgical strikes by the Army as false and politically motivated. The statements had hurt the image of the Army as well as the country, it has claimed. The Army had conducted surgical strikes against terror launch pads in PoK on September 29, 2016 in response to the Uri terror attack.
The plea sought lodging of FIR against them for alleged offences under sections 121A (conspiracy to wage or attempt to wage was against India), 124A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. The complainant, who also annexed media reports with the plea, has said he had given a complaint at Jagatpuri Police Station on October 7 last year but no action was taken by cops after which he approached the court.
PTI