EC wanted DCP to be warned, RTI shows Delhi Police yet to do so

Deo had claimed in February last year that Kapil Baisala, who opened fire at the anti-CAA protest site in Shaheen Bagh, had joined AAP early 2019

Eleven months ago, the Election Commission asked Delhi Police to issue a warning to the then Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Deo in the midst of Assembly elections following controversial remarks during a press conference but an RTI response suggests that authorities are yet to do so.

Deo was in the dock after his comments during a press conference on February 4 last year, three days before the Assembly polls. Deo had claimed that Kapil Baisala, who opened fire at the anti-CAA protest site in Shaheen Bagh, and his father had joined AAP in the early months of 2019.

AAP had alleged that these remarks were made at the behest of its rival BJP, which was fighting to dethrone the former. Baisala was recently inducted into BJP by Ghaziabad unit but was expelled within hours as a controversy erupted.

Soon after, the Election Commission asked Delhi Police to issue a warning and communicate its displeasure on his conduct. The EC also said Deo not be assigned any poll-related duty. The police was also asked to send a compliance report by February 6 last year.

However, responses obtained by transparency activist Neeraj Sharma through RTI show that Delhi Police has not sent any report to the EC and there is no document to suggest that a warning was issued to Deo, who was transferred out of the Crime Branch later. Incidentally, Deo recently went on to win the Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Investigation.

"The Service Book of the officer has been received in this Headquarters (CR Branch/PHQ) on 21 September 2019 and no such copy of the letter is found appended in the Service Book nor any such entry is available," Delhi Police Headquarters said on 16 December 2020 in response after Sharma's appeal.

Sharma's queries were forwarded to the Crime Branch and Headquarters. The Crime Branch had on 8 October 2020, told Sharma in its reply that it had not issued any punishment letter to Deo while it has no information about the compliance report sent to the EC.

The Public Information Officer at the Police Headquarters, however, said the Crime Branch will respond to the query on the issuance of the warning letter to Deo, prompting Sharma to file an appeal.

Sharma also got a letter written by Special Commissioner (Intelligence) Praveer Ranjan to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi, claiming that Deo shared "only facts which had emerged during the investigation without any intention to affect or adversely impact any political party in the election".

While not mentioning any warning, Ranjan said Deo has been taken off election duty but wanted the CEO to impress upon the Election Commission to reconsider its decision.

Forwarding the representation by Deo submitted to the Police Commissioner, Ranjan also requested the CEO to forward it to the Election Commission.

In his representation, Deo had claimed that the information about Baisala and his father joining AAP in 2019 was in the public domain and that he was only confirming the facts to put things in perspective.