The Delhi Police Commissioner, SBK Singh, has been replaced by Satish Golcha, a 1992 batch IPS officer, just one day after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was attacked during a public meeting at her residence.
SBK Singh, who had taken on the additional role of Delhi Police Commissioner on August 1, was the Director General of Home Guards. He is an IPS officer from the 1988 batch of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories) cadre. Satish Golcha, also from the AGMUT cadre, has previously held key positions in the Delhi Police, including Deputy Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, and Special Commissioner of Police for Law and Order and Intelligence. Notably, Golcha was in charge during the 2020 North East Delhi riots and had been appointed Director General (Prisons) in April of the previous year.
The decision comes after a major security lapse involving Chief Minister Gupta, who was slapped and had her hair pulled during a ‘Jan Sunwai’ session at her residence in Shalimar Bagh. CCTV footage revealed that the attacker, Rajesh Sakariya, a resident of Rajkot, Gujarat, had conducted a reconnaissance of the location before the incident.
The attack has raised serious concerns about the security arrangements provided to the Chief Minister, prompting the Delhi Police to make significant changes.
Sakariya’s mother, Bhanu, explained to reporters that her son had been upset over a Supreme Court ruling to relocate all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters, an issue he was passionate about. She said that Sakariya had traveled to Delhi shortly after the ruling. He has been charged with multiple offences, including attempted murder.
Despite the attack, Chief Minister Gupta, who sustained injuries to her hand, shoulder, and head, expressed her determination to continue serving the public. On social media, she assured her supporters that such incidents would not deter her resolve. “Naturally, I was in shock after this attack, but I am feeling better now. I will be seen working among you very soon,” she wrote.
She also added, “Such attacks can never break my spirit and resolve to serve the public. Now, I will be among you with more energy and dedication than ever before.”
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