For the first time since the startling attack during a public grievance hearing, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta appeared in public at Ashok Bazaar in Gandhi Nagar on Friday.
Before her arrival, Gandhi Nagar Market was sealed with tight security. A number of shops were asked to shut down, and a large deployment of Delhi Police and CRPF officials was witnessed in and around the area.
Checkpoints were set in the vicinity, and movement was under strict surveillance. Residents said the atmosphere was "tense but orderly," with most commuters being diverted onto other routes.
This was Chief Minister Gupta's first appearance in public after the attack at her August 21 residence at Civil Lines during a 'Jan Sunvai (public grievance hearing),' when she was said to have been slapped and beaten by a man named Rajesh Bhai Khimji Bhai Sakariya.
Security at CM Gupta's official residence at Civil Lines was later bolstered heavily, with CRPF personnel being stationed for round-the-clock protection.
The attack brought about general shock within the political society, with top leaders like Manoj Tiwari, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Yogendra Chandolia, Praveen Khandelwal, and Bansuri Swaraj going to see her to offer support and inquire about her health.
In the meantime, the suspect Rajesh Bhai was brought before the court on Thursday and placed under five days' police custody. He has been charged under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for attempt to murder (Section 109), obstruction of a public servant (Section 132), and obstruction of public duties (Section 221).
A new twist to the case came when CCTV recordings for August 19 surfaced, featuring Rajesh visiting CM Gupta's private Shalimar Bagh residence on a cycle rickshaw. He can be seen going in and out of the premises several times in the video, apparently surveying the area.
House staff reportedly gave him a slip with the Chief Minister's Civil Lines address and the 'Jan Sunvai' timetable, which could have been helpful in coordinating the attack.
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