The Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) Officers' Association today "strongly condemned" the manhandling of senior NDMC official Neeraj Bharti allegedly by the civic body vice-chairman, and demanded the Home Ministry's immediate intervention.
Bharti, a senior officer of the cadre who is posted as Director of Enforcement Department of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), had yesterday alleged that he was manhandled by the civic body's vice-chairman Karan Singh Tanwar when he refused to stop an eviction drive.
"The DANICS Officers' Association in its resolution strongly condemned illegal confinement of Bharti and threat to him by Tanwar as reprehensible and criminal in nature. We also demanded registration of an FIR in this connection and further action," said Ajay Gupta, president of the Association.
Bharti, who was present in the meeting, briefed the Association members about the incident. He said, "I was called personally by vice-chairman Kanwar Singh Tanwar to his chamber on October 1 and confined illegally by him and his associates and a mob of around 25-30 people."
The NDMC official also alleged that he was "manhandled, abused and threatened to life" by Tanwar, who also "instigated the crowd against me".
The Association, in its letter to the Home Minister and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, has observed that such incidents of "assault" on public servants have become quite frequent in Delhi.
The Association has urged the Home Minister and the Lt Governor to intervene in this regard, and sought "immediate" legal action action Tanwar, Gupta said.
Tanwar, a BJP leader, when contacted, rubbished the allegations as "baseless". "These are baseless allegations that I manhandled him or misbehaved with him. A group of vendors came to me claiming that they have been evicted despite having permits. I had called Bharti to ask him to only evict the unauthorised vendors, but he refused and threatened me instead," Tanwar said.
