Gehlot Demands Zero FIR Over Alleged Assault on NSUI Leader
Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot joins Congress delegation to demand a Zero FIR over the alleged assault of NSUI leader Ritu Barala by police.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot has stepped into a growing controversy involving allegations of police brutality. Joining a delegation led by State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra, Gehlot visited the Jaipur Police Commissionerate to demand the registration of a Zero FIR following the alleged assault of NSUI National Secretary Ritu Barala.
The Legal Push for a Zero FIR
The demand stems from an incident in Delhi where Ritu Barala was allegedly assaulted by female police personnel during a protest. Gehlot emphasized that under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the registration of a Zero FIR is not optional but mandatory for specific offenses committed against women.
Clarifying the legal standing, Gehlot stated that while the concept of a Zero FIR existed previously with varying state implementations, the current government has explicitly included provisions in the BNS for cases involving:
- Outraging a woman's modesty.
- Issuing threats.
- Causing grievous hurt.
- Acts leading to untoward incidents or the mistreatment of women.
"In such cases, registering a 'Zero FIR' is mandatory; officials cannot refuse to record it," Gehlot asserted.
Criticism of Rajasthan Police
Beyond the immediate demand for an FIR, Gehlot launched a scathing attack on the current state of the Rajasthan Police. He alleged that the police force is operating under severe pressure from the administration, which has compromised its functioning.
The former Chief Minister claimed that the Police Commissioner seems to have "effectively vanished" and that the Director General (DG) is working under immense pressure. He described the current state of the force as "pathetic," citing the conduct of the police during the municipal elections as evidence of this decline.
The Delhi Protests and Allegations of Brutality
The current unrest is rooted in protests held in the national capital against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. NSUI activists have alleged widespread police brutality during these demonstrations.
NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar revealed that he and several party workers were detained at various police stations across Delhi. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Jakhar declared that these detentions would not silence the organization in its fight against the alleged assault of women and its protests against the Central Government.
More Claims of Violence
The allegations of misconduct extend beyond Ritu Barala. Athira Vijayan, an NSUI activist and law student at Delhi University from Kerala's Kozhikode district, has also come forward with a complaint. She alleged that during a protest near Connaught Place on October 13, she was assaulted by police personnel.
According to Vijayan's account, she and other protesters were taken into custody and transported in a bus to Connaught Place. She claims they were then forcibly dragged out and assaulted on a public street, resulting in injuries.
The tension escalated further when Delhi Police detained NSUI workers protesting outside the Parliament Street Police Station, where they were demanding the registration of an FIR regarding the alleged assaults.