A Delhi Police SI and ASI were suspended after a man, Sarabjit, crashed his car into the Delhi Assembly. Sarabjit was arrested and remanded to 8 days’ police custody for interrogation, despite his counsel claiming he is mentally unstable.
Police Officers Suspended
a Sub-Inspector (SI) and an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Delhi Police have been placed under suspension based on prima facie findings in connection with the security breach at the Delhi Assembly on April 6.
According to Delhi Police, the action has been taken as part of initial disciplinary measures while a detailed inquiry into the incident remains underway. The development comes amid an ongoing investigation into the breach, which has raised serious concerns over security arrangements at the Assembly premises.
The Security Breach Incident
Earlier, the Delhi Police caught three individuals, including the driver of the car, Sarabjit, in the same case. Sarabjit is a resident of Puranpur in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. The North District police team seized the vehicle at a picket in the Rupnagar area.
According to Delhi Police sources, the accused, Sarabjit, entered the Legislative Assembly through Gate No. 2 at 2:10 PM. He broke through the gate and crashed through the boom barrier.
After entering the assembly premises, he sat in the Delhi assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta’s official car and placed a bouquet and a garland inside the vehicle. During this time, a staff member arrived and questioned him, triggering chaos. While Delhi Police and CRPF personnel rushed to the scene, the accused managed to complete this entire sequence of events and escape back through Gate No. 2 within approximately 6 minutes.
Court Proceedings
In a related development, the Tis Hazari Court on Tuesday granted the Delhi Police eight days’ custody of Sarabjeet, instead of the requested ten days’ custody. Sarabjeet was produced before the court after being arrested from the Roop Nagar area. He had crashed his car through Gate No. 2 of the Delhi Assembly on Monday, injuring a guard on duty. Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Kartik Tapariya allowed the Delhi Police to take Sarabjeet Singh into custody for interrogation.
Defence Claims Mental Instability
The defence counsel argued that Sarabjeet “is not mentally stable and entered the Delhi Assembly premises believing it was a Gurudwara.” Sarabjeet had allegedly been living in a Gurudwara in Chandigarh before coming to Delhi. While the defence stated that he is on medication, they failed to provide complete medical records of the accused. The court directed Sarabjeet’s counsel to furnish proper medical documentation to the Delhi Police and instructed the police to ensure that he receives medical care in accordance with these records.
Prosecution Rejects Claims
Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Shrivastav submitted that the accused, Sarabjeet Singh, entered the high-security zone of the Delhi Legislative Assembly by crashing through the gate with his car. He further alleged that Sarabjeet attempted to hit the guard stationed at the gate, who narrowly escaped by jumping aside, and that the accused tried to run over the guard twice.
While requesting 10 days’ police custody, the APP submitted that it was necessary to take the accused to Punjab, Panipat, and Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh for further investigation. Opposing the remand, the accused’s counsel cited Sarabjeet’s unstable mental condition. The defence stated that Sarabjeet travelled to Chandigarh 15 days ago without informing his wife, stayed at a Gurudwara even though his sister also lives in the city, and then moved to Delhi after learning that his nephew, who studied in Delhi, was missing. He allegedly entered the Assembly premises thinking it was a Gurudwara.
The APP, however, opposed the submissions and contended that the accused is not a person of an “unstable mind.” “After reaching Delhi, he hired two taxi drivers to accompany him. He also purchased a car and holds a valid driving licence,” the APP added. The court questioned the defence about his mental state, noting that Sarabjeet drove approximately 700 kilometres on highways during his travels. The court also interacted with the accsued who answered the queries sought. After considering all the facts, the court granted 8 days of police custody.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)