Bring Delhi police under Delhi govt, Arvind Kejriwal urges home ministry

NEW DELHI: Observing that the crime rate in the national capital was "very high", Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today demanded that Delhi Police be brought under Delhi government as Delhiites wanted answers from the force for every crime that took place in the city.

"People come to us demanding answers whenever a crime takes place. They do not look for the (Union) home minister. So, it is high time that Delhi Police was handed over to Delhi government," Kejriwal told reporters here following a meeting with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

He said that, if required, the security of the NDMC area and Lutyens' Zone may be controlled by the Centre, but stressed that the law and order duties for the rest of the city should be handed over to Delhi government.

Delhi Police is under the administrative control of the Home Ministry.

Kejriwal was accompanied by Ministers Manish Sisodia, Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla.

He said they had also demanded suspension of the policemen who were allegedly negligent in the discharge of their duties with respect to three cases -- the gangrape of the Danish woman, alleged drug rackets in Malviya Nagar and the death of a woman in a dowry-related case in West Delhi.

Kejriwal said the Home Minister had assured that he would examine the demands and get back to him within a few days.

Later, asked whether Delhi government was running away from its responsibilities, Sisodia countered that they were actually trying to be more responsible to the people.

After Kejriwal's meeting, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi met the Home Minister.