Court asks cops how AAP leader Rakhi booked under SC/ST Act

A court here today asked Delhi Police to explain how AAP leader Rakhi Bidlan and her brother, belonging to Scheduled Caste community, were made accused in a case lodged against them under the special law enacted for protection of SC and ST members.
Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau directed police to inform it about the legal provisions which it has sought to be invoked against Rakhi and her brother Vikram.
The court ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Outer District to appear before it tomorrow and answer its queries relating to the case.
It noted that members of the SC/ST community have been made accused in this case by invoking the Special Enactment i.E. SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act which appeared to be against the provisions of the special law.

"The DCP shall further inform this court the relevant provisions of law under which accused Rakhi Bidlan and Vikram who are members of the SC/ST community have also been chargesheeted in the present case along with other accused not being members of SC/ST community under the Special Law i.E. SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the stand of the Department regarding the legal provisions sought to be invoked against them," the judge said.
The court has also asked the DCP to explain the stand of the police as to whether the three FIRs arising out of the same incident, have been clubbed to be tried together or have been split for separate trials and also the reasons for it.

The case was committed to the sessions court after filing of charge sheet in which FIR was registered at South Rohini Police Station by Dharambir Kataria, a SC/ST community member, alleging that on October 13, Ram Pratap Goyal and Rajesh Goyal at the instance of the then MLA, Rakhi and her brother Vikram and several other Aam Aadmi Party workers had used objectionable caste based remarks on him.