NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s first public event after assuming power ended miserably for her after she faced an attack. In a shocking incident during a Jan Sunwai programme, she was attacked at her camp office in Civil Lines on August 20.
Security personnel present at the spot immediately nabbed the accused, who was later identified as 41-year-old Sakriya Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai, an autorickshaw driver from Gujarat’s Rajkot. He was taken into custody and jointly interrogated by IB and Delhi Police’s Special Cell.
It had come out during the initial investigation that Sakriya wanted to meet the CM about the lives of the three lakh stray dogs in the city. Photos and videos on his phone suggested that he visited Ayodhya in May. It had also been found that he staged a protest earlier this year in Rajkot in support of stray animals.
The mother of the accused describe him as a “dog lover” and told reporters in Rajkot that her son was not affiliated with any political party and had travelled to the national capital to join a protest against the Supreme Court’s order on stray dogs.
On August 21, a delegation of all seven BJP MPs from Delhi called on Rekha Gupta. Several ministers and legislators also visited her residence to enquire about her health. The CM was provided Z+ security following the incident.
The accused auto-rickshaw driver resides with his wife, son, and parents in Rajkot, Gujarat. He was previously booked in five different cases at Bhaktinagar police station in Gujarat. Five FIRs were registered against him between 2017 and 2024 at the Bhaktinagar police station.
Later, on September 3, the Jan Sunwai resumed after the Delhi Police had tightened the security at the CM’s residence.
As a result of this, the then Commissioner of Delhi Police, SBK Singh, was removed and AGMUT cadre IPS officer Satish Golcha was appointed in his place.