Jaipur: Rajasthan Congress leaders, led by state president Govind Singh Dotasra, spent the night in the corridor of the Jaipur Police Commissionerate and continued their dharna on Tuesday, demanding a Zero FIR over the alleged assault on NSUI leader Ritu Barala by Delhi Police personnel.
Barala, an NSUI national secretary from Rajasthan, has alleged that a Delhi Police woman constable assaulted her inside a bus carrying detained protesters during a demonstration in Delhi on October 13. She said the constable grabbed her by the neck, pushed her onto a seat, scratched her face and slapped her.
The Congress demand followed a call from Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who asked Dotasra to pursue legal action. Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan assembly Tikaram Jully and several women MLAs joined the protest. Dotasra said they would leave only after an FIR was registered.
Jaipur Police declined to register a Zero FIR, saying the same incident and facts were already under investigation in Delhi, where Barala had filed a complaint at Connaught Place police station. Additional Commissioner Ajay Singh said the matter was being probed there.
Congress leaders cited Section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to argue that a Zero FIR must be registered and forwarded to the police station concerned. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot asked why a "daughter of Rajasthan" was being made to run from station to station, and demanded an immediate FIR. Police kept the main gate of the commissionerate closed and deployed additional personnel.
Police kept the main gate of the commissionerate closed and deployed additional personnel, and Congress leaders said they would not leave until an FIR was registered.