Home Ministry seeks report from Delhi Police over Somnath Bharti incident

NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry has sought a report from the Delhi Police over three incidents on which Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded action against police officers for alleged dereliction of duty while threatening of a stir from tomorrow.

Officials sources said the Home Ministry wanted to know the facts in the cases before deciding on taking action against policemen.

The incidents are "negligence" of police in busting an alleged prostitution racket involving African nationals, alleged failure in nabbing those involved in a dowry death case in West Delhi and reported failure to prevent gangrape of a Danish woman near New Delhi railway station.

Kejriwal, accompanied by Cabinet colleagues Manish Sisodia, Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla, had met Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Friday and demanded suspension of the "guilty" policemen by 10 AM tomorrow, failing which they would protest in front of Home Ministry.

The Delhi Police is administratively under the control of Home Ministry.

Sources said the Home Ministry is waiting for the report of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung as well as the Delhi Police on the three incidents.

Regarding the registration of FIR against unknown persons for alleged harassment of some African nationals in Khirki extension, sources said the Home Ministry cannot interfere in the case as the FIR was lodged following a court order and "law will take its own course".

Meanwhile, MHA has ordered tightening of security to prevent protestors from reaching Raisina Hill, housing Rashtrapati Bhavan, PMO, Ministries of Home, Defence, Finance and External Affairs, where preparations are on full swing for the Republic Day celebrations.

Delhi police imposed prohibitory orders in New Delhi district preventing assembly of five or more persons.