Delhi Police on Monday filed a non-cognisable report (NCR) against Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma over the alleged slapping of a man during a road inspection in west Delhi, officials said.
The NCR was registered under Section 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on the basis of a complaint filed by Sahib Singh, who alleged that Verma slapped him during the inspection.
An NCR does not by itself lead to a police investigation. Police require an order from a magistrate to begin a probe in such a case, and an arrest cannot be made without a warrant.
The incident took place on Sunday when Verma was inspecting newly laid road work in the Vikaspuri area. During the inspection, Singh was seen pulling out a portion of the road surface with his hand while raising questions over the quality of the work. A video showing Verma allegedly slapping Singh later surfaced on social media.
AAP MLA from Tilak Nagar Jarnail Singh was also present at the site and had questioned the quality of the newly constructed road. The MLA later alleged that the road work was of poor quality.
Verma, however, has disputed the allegations and said the video circulating online did not show the complete context of the incident. He alleged that people accompanying the AAP MLA had abused his family and interfered with government officials during the inspection.
The minister also claimed that Singh was associated with the AAP and had a previous criminal case against him. Reports said Singh had earlier been arrested in a case involving an alleged assault on an MCD employee and was out on bail.
Meanwhile, the Public Works Department has also filed complaints against AAP MLA Jarnail Singh and others, alleging that government officials were obstructed during the road work and inspection.
The complaints relate to allegations of intimidation and obstruction of PWD officials as well as interference with the road construction work. Police are examining the allegations made by both sides.
The incident has triggered a political dispute between the BJP and AAP, with AAP leaders demanding action against Verma and BJP leaders defending the minister while raising allegations against the MLA and his supporters.