The Election Commission on Wednesday rapped a Delhi Police officer on the knuckles for his statements to the media that the man who caught last week after firing in the air near Shaheen Bagh and his father had joined a particular political party.
The poll panel said the officers action was uncalled for and ordered the Delhi Police that Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Deo should not be assigned any work related to the Delhi election.
“The Commission has considered the matter in detail and is of the considered view that the above-referred statements referring to a political party at this stage even as the investigation is still going on has the effect of adversely impacting the elections. This action was totally uncalled for. The conduct on the part of Rajesh Deo has consequences on the holding of free and fair elections,” the EC said in a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner.
The poll panel directed that, “A warning shall be issued to Rajesh Deo, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime (SIU & ISC) communicating therein the displeasure of the Commission on his conduct and and copy of the same be placed in his CR Dossier.”
It went on to say, “It shall be ensured that Rajesh Deo is not assigned any work/matter related to the ongoing elections to the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi”
The EC also sought a compliance report by 6 pm on Thursday.
On Tuesday evening, Deo had said the shooter Kapil Gujjar and his father, Choudhary Gaje Singh, joined AAP in early 2019 in the presence of senior party leaders.
He had claimed that the association of the father and son with AAP emerged when police retrieved deleted photos and videos from Gujjar’s cellphone. Deo had also said that the two had admitted to being members of AAP.
But Kapil’s family refuted the police claim and said that they do not have any connection with the AAP. The AAP had said it was a conspiracy and the party would complain to the Election Commission.