Jaipur, Oct 21 The Congress on Wednesday ended its nearly two-day dharna at the Jaipur Police Commissionerate after police gave in writing that a zero FIR could not be registered over the alleged assault on NSUI leader Ritu Barala by Delhi Police personnel, citing that a complaint regarding the incident was already under probe in the national capital.
Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, who had been camping at the commissionerate along with other party leaders since Monday evening, said the party would approach the High Court and the Supreme Court, alleging that police had wrongly interpreted Section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The dharna ended after Jaipur police handed over a written response to the Congress leaders, following which Dotasra and others came out of the commissionerate.
“Our demand was that an FIR should be registered, but police have given us in writing that since a complaint has already been lodged in Delhi, an FIR cannot be registered here. We will now approach the court,” Dotasra told reporters.
He said the Congress would seek judicial interpretation of the legal provision and pursue registration of an FIR in the case.
“The officials have wrongly interpreted the law. We will approach the High Court and Supreme Court for registration of the case and interpretation of the law. We have no option left but to go to court and we will ensure justice for Ritu Barala,” he said.
Dotasra also said the party would initiate legal action against police officers who, according to him, had wrongly interpreted the law and prevented registration of the FIR.
Recounting the events that led to the protest, Dotasra said the SHO of Moti Dungri police station had refused to register the FIR on Monday evening and asked Congress leaders to obtain orders from the police commissioner.
“We came to meet the commissioner, but he was not there. The additional commissioner asked us to wait, but he too left without informing us of anything,” he alleged.
Dotasra said the leaders remained at the commissionerate for two nights, but the police did not clearly communicate their decision until Tuesday.
“If an FIR could not be registered, they should have told us on the first day,” he said.
He alleged that police officials were acting at the behest of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Dotasra claimed that neither the police commissioner nor Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, who also holds the home portfolio, or other senior officials responded to their phone calls. He accused the government of ignoring a woman’s demand for justice.
The Congress leaders began their dharna on Monday evening after police at the Moti Dungri police station received Barala’s complaint but did not register an FIR. Dotasra, Barala and other party leaders spent two consecutive nights at the commissionerate, sleeping in its corridor.
The protest intensified on Tuesday as a large number of Congress workers gathered outside the commissionerate, raised slogans and demanded registration of an FIR. Scuffles broke out between Congress workers and police on a couple of occasions, affecting traffic movement in the area.
Police used mild force late Tuesday night to disperse party workers gathered outside the premises.
Jaipur Police said Barala had already submitted a complaint at Connaught Place police station in Delhi on October 13 and the matter was under investigation there. Registering another FIR on the same facts in Rajasthan would not be legally permissible, police said.
Barala has alleged that Delhi Police women constables assaulted her during an NSUI protest in the national capital on October 13.
The NSUI had staged the protest near Rajiv Chowk Metro station, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had asked Dotasra to pursue legal action over the alleged assault on Barala, who hails from Rajasthan.
(PTI News)
