Man who attacked CM a ‘serial offender’

The man, who was arrested for attacking Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during “Jan Sunwai” at her camp office in Civil Lines here on Wednesday, is a “serial offender” and several cases were registered against him in Rajkot, Gujarat, officials said.

According to police sources, the accused, Rajesh Sakariya Khimji, was arrested and a case under Sections 109(1) attempt to murder, 132 (offense of assaulting or using criminal force against a public servant) and 221 (obstruct to public servant while on duty) of the BNS has been registered against him at the Civil Lines police station.

They said he had also been booked under sections that deal with unlawful possession of liquor. Officials said an FIR was registered against him at the Bhaktinagar police station in Rajkot in 2017 under Sections 326, 504 and 114 of the IPC and was acquitted by a Rajkot court in November 2019.

Another case was registered against him under Sections 65-AA and 116-B of the Gujarat Prohibition Act, which relates to the sale, purchase, possession and transportation of intoxicants, and unlawful possession of liquor. He was acquitted and released in a case in November 2023 by a Rajkot court.

The officials said Khimji was booked at the Bhaktinagar police station under the same sections in another case and was subsequently acquitted by a Gujarat Court in October 2023.

“The cowardly attack on Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is part of a well-planned conspiracy. The CCTV footage obtained from the Chief Minister’s residence in Shalimar Bagh has made it clear that the attacker had started preparing for this attack at least 24 hours in advance,” CMO said.

Previous security breach incidents

Shoe hurled at Arvind Kejriwal: A man hurled shoes at Arvind Kejriwal in April 2016 when he was announcing the reintroduction of the odd-even scheme in the city.

Chilli powder attack on Kejriwal: On November 20, 2018, a man named Anil Kumar Sharma tried to throw chilli powder at the then CM Arvind Kejriwal inside the Delhi Secretariat. He claimed he created a false narrative about his mother’s illness to gain access. He was later arrested.