Rajesh Sakariya, arrested for attacking Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during a public hearing yesterday, has told the police that he attacked the Chief Minister after she allegedly ignored his appeals against removing stray dogs from the national capital.
Sources in the Delhi Police have said 41-year-old Sakariya, originally from Gujarat's Rajkot, has made bizarre claims about what brought him to the capital and why he attacked the Chief Minister.
Sakariya has said he is a devotee of Lord Shiva, and he asked him to travel to Ujjain, and then to Delhi to seek the Chief Minister's help regarding the Supreme Court ruling to round up stray dogs in Delhi-NCR and shift them to shelters away from residential areas. The Chief Minister had earlier said that stray dog attacks have been troubling Delhi residents for quite some time now. "This problem has taken a formidable form and is now standing before Delhi, and providing a solution is very important. We will prepare a proper plan on this issue," the Chief Minister had said after the top court order.
He has also told the police that he travelled to Delhi ticketless on a train. On reaching the capital, Sakariya asked people where the Chief Minister stayed. He took the Metro, but got off at the wrong station and then took a cycle rickshaw ride to reach the Chief Minister's residence in Shalimar Bagh.
Sakariya has also told police that he planned to return to Gujarat last night after making the appeal to the Chief Minister.
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra has trashed the divine intervention theory and pointed to the accused's criminal past. "We need to talk about facts. The man has a criminal record. The way he conducted a recce before the attack shows he is a professional criminal. Random theories are being pushed to divert attention from the facts," he told the media.
Sakariya has multiple cases against him, most of them related to the smuggling of liquor in dry Gujarat. He has been acquitted in several of these cases, while remain pending. Among the sections invoked against him is the one related to causing hurt.
Mr Mishra said the Chief Minister has continued to work despite the shocking attack. "Right now, she needs rest and recovery as the physical injuries are serious, and the mental impact is also there. This was not an ordinary incident; it was a very unusual one. Still, the Chief Minister continues to work," he said. The Chief Minister suffered injuries after Sakariya allegedly slapped her, pushed her and pulled her hair during a 'Jan Sunwai' meeting.
Sakariya has been charged with attempted murder, among other sections relating to obstructing a public servant during duty.
