The Delhi Police on Monday registered a non-cognisable report (NCR) against PWD Minister Parvesh Verma in the slapgate incident. The police said that an NCR under Section 115 of the BNS, causing voluntary hurt, has been filed against Verma.
The action comes a day after Verma slapped Sahib Singh, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) worker in the Tilak Nagar area, while he was inspecting road repair work on a stretch of the Outer Ring Road between the Janakpuri District Centre Chowk and the Najafgarh Drain. He was confronted by AAP MLA Jarnail Singh and others over the quality of work.
Sahib Singh was recording the video when Verma slapped him. The slapping incident followed a brief scuffle between the two before the security guard intervened. The incident triggered massive protests by AAP, with its Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj leading from the ground.
AAP workers and leaders, led by Bharadwaj, staged a protest in Tilak Nagar and demanded an FIR against Verma.
AAP national convenor and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal demanded Verma's arrest over the slapgate row. Meanwhile, Verma defended his action, accusing Sahib Singh of abusing his family.
Verma further added that Jarnail Singh and other AAP workers were obstructing government officials from carrying out their duties. He accused Singh of demanding commission, adding that he would not tolerate it.
Separately, a complaint has been filed by the Public Works Department (PWD) against Singh at the Tilak Nagar police station.
Notably, a non-cognisable report is recorded when the complaint relates to a non-cognisable offence. An NCR is different from an FIR as police require the permission of a magistrate to investigate a non-cognisable case. The classification depends on the nature of the offence under the applicable law.
(With PTI Inputs)