Delhi Court Orders FIR Against Arvind Kejriwal Over Alleged Public Property Defacement
A Delhi court has directed the police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others for allegedly defacing public property by installing unauthorized hoardings in Dwarka in 2019.
The complaint, filed by Shiv Kumar Saxena, accused Kejriwal, former MLA Gulab Singh, and ex-Dwarka councilor Nitika Sharma of misusing public funds to erect large-sized banners at various public locations, including crossings, roads, power poles, and park boundary walls.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal noted that the unauthorized hoardings not only marred the city’s aesthetics but also posed safety hazards by potentially distracting drivers and endangering pedestrians. The court emphasized that such installations could lead to accidents, referencing past incidents where illegal hoardings had collapsed, causing fatalities.
The court criticized the police’s prior inaction, highlighting that an earlier action taken report failed to confirm the existence of the hoardings on the alleged dates. This omission was seen as an attempt to mislead the court. Consequently, the court instructed the Station House Officer (SHO) to register the FIR under Section 3 of the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007, and conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
This development marks a renewed legal challenge for Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party leadership, as the Delhi Police are now required to file the FIR and submit a compliance report, potentially leading to further legal proceedings.
