Security enhanced around Kejriwal’s house, cops tell HC

HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Tuesday informed the Delhi high court that the proposal to curtail entry to the road along which the chief minister’s residence is located is under consideration and discussions are on with the residents’ welfare associations (RWA) of the Civil Lines area in this regard.

A bench of acting chief justice Vipin Sanghi and justice Navin Chawla was on Wednesday informed by advocate Sanjay Lao, standing counsel of the Delhi government (criminal), that the security of the area has been beefed up after the alleged violence and more armed guards have been deployed there. He further said hat no protests or gatherings are being allowed near the Civil Lines Metro station.

“They (police) are having a meeting with RWA so that two gates can be installed on both ends of the road. No assembly, protest will be allowed at the

Civil Lines Metro Station,” he said, adding that the police also intend to construct an integrated booth near the CM’S residence.

The bench was hearing a plea by AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj, over the attack on the chief minister’s residence on March 30 during a protest held by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing to condemn the CM’S remarks on Bollywood movie “The Kashmir Files”.

During an earlier hearing, the high court had termed the police’s failure to prevent vandalism at the CM’S residence a “very disturbing state of affairs”, and directed the city police commissioner to fix responsibility for the “serious lapse”.

Lao told the court that total strength of police personnel on CM’S security duty now stands at 64 with 20-22 personnel stationed at the residence roundthe-clock.

He said two armed police guards have also been deployed at the entry and exit points of Kejriwal’s residence.