New Delhi: Rajesh Sakariya, the man arrested for assaulting Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during a public hearing, has told police that he attacked her after she allegedly ignored his appeals on the issue of stray dogs in the capital.
According to Delhi Police sources, 41-year-old Sakariya—originally from Rajkot, Gujarat—made several unusual claims during interrogation. He said he was a devotee of Lord Shiva, who “directed” him to travel first to Ujjain and then to Delhi to seek the Chief Minister’s intervention following a Supreme Court order to round up stray dogs in Delhi-NCR and shift them to shelters.
Sakariya reportedly travelled ticketless to Delhi, then wandered around asking for the Chief Minister’s residence. After taking the Metro and a cycle rickshaw, he eventually reached Ms Gupta’s home in Shalimar Bagh. He claimed he had planned to return to Gujarat after placing his appeal.
The accused allegedly slapped, pushed, and pulled the Chief Minister’s hair during the ‘Jan Sunwai’ session, leaving her with serious physical injuries and mental trauma. She continues to work despite the attack, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra said.
Mishra, however, dismissed Sakariya’s explanation of “divine intervention” as a distraction, pointing instead to his criminal record. “The man has a history of liquor smuggling in Gujarat. The way he carried out a recce before the attack shows he is no ordinary petitioner but a professional criminal,” he said.
Police records show Sakariya has faced multiple cases in Gujarat, several ending in acquittals while others remain pending.
He has now been charged with attempted murder and sections relating to obstructing a public servant during duty.
