Cong protest: Delhi Police registers case against unknown persons for manhandling cops

The Congress had on Wednesday alleged that Delhi Police personnel forcibly entered its headquarters and beat up party workers and leaders on a day the party staged vociferous protests against Gandhis questioning by the ED in a money laundering case.

The Delhi Police has registered a case against unknown persons for allegedly manhandling on-duty police personnel, burning tyres and damaging barricades during a protest against Rahul Gandhi's questioning by the Enforcement Directorate a day before, officials said on Thursday. The Congress had on Wednesday alleged that Delhi Police personnel forcibly entered its headquarters and beat up party workers and leaders on a day the party staged vociferous protests against Gandhi's questioning by the ED in a money laundering case. The case was registered on Wednesday under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) against unknown persons, police said. A senior police officer said some Congress leaders and workers pushed and manhandled on-duty police personnel and damaged barricades. Some of the protesters also burnt tyres, the officer said, adding that the case has been lodged on the complaint of an injured policeman.

The Delhi Police had on Wednesday rejected as ''totally false'' the allegations that its personnel forcibly entered the Congress headquarters here and beat up party workers and leaders.

It had said despite its suggestion to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar, the Congress leaders, showing ''utter disregard to Supreme Court guidelines'', tried to create public disturbances in the area. ''The allegations are totally false and we have denied them strongly,'' a senior police officer had said. The Congress, however, had shared video clips on social media platforms purportedly showing police personnel entering its office premises.

''We tried to stop them and close the gates of the AICC (All India Congress Committee) headquarters in order to prevent a procession from being taken out.

''In this process, there might have been some scrimmage, but police did not try to enter the AICC headquarters and they had no reason to do so either,'' the officer had said.

The Congress staged vociferous protests in Delhi on Wednesday, the third day of Gandhi's questioning by the ED in a money-laundering case.

The police had said orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) are also in force, prohibiting such gatherings in the New Delhi area, and banners to this effect have been placed at various conspicuous places.

Congress has demanded that an FIR for ''criminal trespass'' be registered, the erring police personnel suspended and disciplinary action initiated against them.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)