Najeeb Jung’s recent resignation as Lieutenant-Governor had the Capital’s rumour mills going into overdrive about the likelihood of former Delhi Police Commissioner B. S. Bassi succeeding him.
This also sparked apprehensions about the State-Centre relationship going further downhill due to the acrimonious history between Mr. Bassi and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Having retired in February, Mr. Bassi was not part of the upper echelons of the city’s administration for the better part of the year.
However, the trend of the Delhi Police booking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs one after the other continued under his successor Alok Kumar Verma, just the way it was since the AAP returned to power last year.
Eight MLAs were arrested this year with charges varying from violating prohibitory orders to rape and molestation. Since last year, 13 MLAs have been arrested. Somnath Bharti and Amanatullah Khan were named in more than one criminal case.
Standout cases
Among those arrested, the most talked about case was that of Narela MLA Sharad Chauhan, who was booked in a case of abetment to suicide, registered against him in connection with the suicide of a woman worker of the AAP.
Also making it to the headlines was former AAP Minister Sandeep Kumar, who was accused of raping a woman on the pretext of providing her a ration card.
While Mr. Khan, a former Minister, was booked twice on charges of molestation, a charge Sangam Vihar MLA Dinesh Mohaniya too faced in another case registered at Neb Sarai.
After almost every case, the AAP accused the cops of indulging in vendetta at the behest of the Centre and claimed that the leaders were framed. The police maintained that they were upholding the law.
Unlike the more guarded approach adopted by the Delhi Police in other cases, including that against BJP MLA O. P. Sharma, who was booked for violence outside Patiala House courts, the police was ready with all details and was even forthcoming in sharing information in matters involving the AAP.
AAP’s top brass
Another showdown involving the police and the AAP’s top brass occurred after the suicide of Army veteran Ram Kishan Grewal in November.
First, the police detained several Aam Aadmi Party leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, when they tried to meet the veteran’s family at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Later, when Mr. Kejriwal tried to visit Lady Hardinge Hospital where the body was kept, the police didn’t let him.
Mr. Kejriwal was detained and let off several hours later.
