Youth Arrested for Threatening Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta
Arrest of the Suspect
A 25-year-old man has been apprehended for allegedly threatening Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The police confirmed the arrest on Saturday, identifying the suspect as Shlok Tiwari. Sources indicate that Tiwari is known for engaging in fraudulent activities and frequently changes his identity. An official stated that he was taken into custody by the Delhi police, who are currently interrogating him at their special unit office in northwest Delhi.
Details of the Threat
The suspect made the threatening call to the emergency helpline 112 on Thursday and Friday nights from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Ritesh Tripathi, the Assistant Police Commissioner of Ghaziabad, reported that local police alerted their Delhi counterparts and dispatched a team to the Panchvati Colony, the location from which the call was made. However, the caller had already fled the scene.
Police Response
According to the Delhi police, the suspect was intoxicated during the call. They stated, "The individual who threatened Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was apprehended by the special staff team of the northwest district police in Ghaziabad. He was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the call." Following the threat, security measures for Gupta were heightened on Friday, June 6. The threatening call was reportedly received around 11:00 PM on Thursday, June 5, after which the caller disconnected and turned off his phone. The inter-state coordination unit of Ghaziabad police promptly relayed the matter to the Delhi police.
Recent Security Concerns
Interestingly, just about 100 days after taking office, the Chief Minister was allocated an official residence on Friday. This threat came shortly after she received emails threatening to bomb two government buildings in central Delhi. These emails, sent to senior officials around 6:49 AM on May 30, warned of attacks on the Industry Bhawan and Nirman Bhawan.
History of Threats Against Delhi Chief Ministers
It is important to note that threats and attacks targeting Delhi's Chief Ministers are not unprecedented. In 2019, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was physically assaulted by an auto-rickshaw driver who claimed dissatisfaction with unfulfilled electoral promises. In 2016, during an official event at Chhatrasal Stadium, Kejriwal was attacked with black ink by a woman protesting a scandal related to CNG vehicle stickers. Another incident occurred during Kejriwal's public address regarding the 'Odd-Even' vehicle rationing scheme, where a protester disrupted the event by throwing ink in dissent.