Vijay Pal, the SHO, told a TV channel before he left for his village in Haryana that it was a political matter and he should not make further comments but he will wait for further instructions from the government on joining duty.
Pal had to bear the brunt after he refused to conduct a midnight raid of a house without search warrant as Law Minister Somnath Bharti alleged some African women were running a sex and drug racket from the house.
The minister ordered Pal to raid the house which he refused citing lack of appropriate permission before conducting a raid of a house with women inside.
An Uganda national had identified the minister on Tuesday saying he led a group of people who barged into her house in midnight and attacked her and her friends following an FIR. Bharti was also summoned by Delhi Commission for Women on the issue which he did not receive and is likely to sent one more today.
The refusal of the SHO was followed by a heated exchange of words between the minister and an ACP of Delhi Police in public telecast live. Subsequently, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal demanded suspension of the police officers involved in the confrontation. But Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde did not oblige saying an inquiry needed to be complete before any action is taken. This prompted Kejriwal to stage a protest near North Block, the office of the Home Ministry, along with his ministers and party MLAs.
The protest lasted for over 33 hours before a compromise could be reached between the Centre and Delhi Cabinet that sent two cops on leave pending inquiry.
The protest could disrupt Republic Day celebration which is less than a week away. Kejriwal said being the CM of Delhi, he has to decide the protest venue not Home Minister Shinde, drawing criticism from many of his supporters and well wishers.
On the other hand, the SHO Pal found support in many activists and outfits who felt the police officer was not at fault. Rather, it was the Law Minister who violated law. Delhi Police Commissioner also refused to hold the SHO guilty.
In fact, Kejriwal failed to muster enough support to the protest unlike past, forcing him to look for a face-saver to end the protest. However, there is a rise in demands for the scalp of Bharti who has been involved in a number of controversies.
