Security personnel at AAP rally where a farmer hanged himself on Wednesday
The Delhi Police today refused to submit documents for an inquiry ordered by the Aam Aadmi Party government into the alleged suicide of a farmer at their rally on Wednesday. The police now face a criminal complaint.
District magistrate Sanjay Kumar had asked the police to submit papers related to the case by 11 am. These included records of the police alert, the complaint and the medical report.
Mr Kumar has said that he will file a criminal complaint against the police for "obstructing a government servant doing his duty."
Both the police and AAP accuse each other of doing nothing to save Gajendra Singh, the Rajasthan farmer who hanged himself in front of thousands of shocked rally-goers.
AAP, which rules Delhi, ordered an inquiry by a district magistrate, while the home ministry has asked the police to investigate.
The police have alleged in an FIR or First Information Report that AAP workers clapped and cheered when Gajendra was on the tree, and instigated him. They also say that AAP volunteers obstructed them at every step, and prevented them from saving the farmer.
This version contradicts that of AAP, which has long demanded that the control of the police should be with the Delhi government, not the union home ministry.
"We kept asked the police to save the man. They did nothing," Arvind Kejriwal said in a short speech minutes after Gajendra was brought down from the tree and taken to hospital, where he was declared brought dead. AAP also questioned how the police can investigate their own crime.
Today, the Delhi Chief Minister apologized for not stopping the rally and for making a speech even after the incident.
"I think I was wrong, I should not have spoken. I didn't think of it at that time. I apologise if I hurt anyone," he said today, adding that he was willing to cooperate with the police investigation.
The Delhi Police FIR is based on the account of a policeman who says he "appealed to clapping AAP volunteers not to encourage Gajendra and help pull him down. But neither the AAP leaders on stage nor the volunteers helped."