NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Friday informed the city court that an FIR has been lodged against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and others following allegations of violating the Defacement of Public Property Act in the Capital's Dwarka area.
The registration of the FIR comes in compliance with a directive issued by the court on March 11. The court had instructed the police to formally register the complaint and submit a compliance report.
In response, the Delhi Police presented their report before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Neha Mittal of the Rouse Avenue Court, confirming the initiation of the case.
Police also informed the court that the investigation is currently underway, citing the case’s dated nature as a factor necessitating additional time to examine the matter thoroughly. The court has scheduled the next hearing for April 18.
The legal battle began when a complaint was filed by Shiv Kumar Saxena, who alleged that large hoardings featuring Kejriwal, Gulab Singh, and others were unlawfully placed in various public spaces across Dwarka. The banners, he claimed, misused public funds and violated the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007.
Some of these posters advertised Delhi Government initiatives, while others extended greetings for religious festivals, featuring multiple political figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders.
Initially, a status report filed in 2022 by the Dwarka South Police Station concluded that no hoardings were found at the locations mentioned in the complaint at the time of the investigation. Consequently, the Metropolitan Magistrate of Dwarka Court dismissed the case on September 15, 2022.
However, Saxena pursued a revision petition before the Rouse Avenue Court, which allowed the plea and directed a fresh hearing.
During subsequent proceedings, the session court ordered a reconsideration of the application under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), emphasizing the necessity of a speaking order that evaluates whether a cognizable offence had been committed.