N-W Delhi’s DM assaulted by BJP MLA’s henchmen

Three persons, who claimed to be supporters of a BJP MP, have been arrested by the police for allegedly assaulting a senior IAS official, holding him hostage at his office, in Outer Delhi’s Kanjhawla area on Thursday.

The victim, Sanjay Goel, who is the District Magistrate of North-west Delhi, alleged that the attack was led by a man identified as Parminder and that the entire incident was caught on CCTV camera. 

The police have registered a case under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 342 (wrongful confinement), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC based on Goel’s complaint, said DCP (Outer) Vikramjit Singh, adding that so far Parminder is the only person named in the FIR. “We are monitoring the CCTV footage obtained from the DM’s office and more arrests are likely.” 

In his complaint to the police, Goel alleged that around 70 men barged into his office at Kanjhawala area around 11.45 am, who threatened and physically assaulted him. They held him hostage for 20 to 25 minutes inside his office. The man who was heading the mob, identified himself as Parminder, and said he was the secretary of BJP MP Udit Raj. The latter, who represents North-west Delhi constituency in Lok Sabha, could not be contacted for his response.

The IAS officer claimed the group attacked him for removing illegal encroachment from a piece of gram-sabha land. Goel said somehow his staff managed to call the police. “When the police entered my office to take them, Parminder attacked me in front of the police,” he alleged. The DM said that he underwent a medical test after the assault and the entire incident was captured in the CCTV camera installed in his office.

Delhi government criticised the attack on District Magistrate and demanded police to take strict action. Sisodia also requested LG Najeeb Jung to instruct Delhi Police to give special protection to the DMs and SDMs. “Strongly condemn the assault on Sanjay Goyal, (District Magistrate North-west Delhi) by henchmen of a BJP MP in Delhi,” Sisodia wrote on <g data-gr-id="28">micro-blogging</g> website.