EC bars cop who claimed Shaheen Bagh shooter-AAP link from poll duty

Taking a strong view of Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Deo sharing with the media investigation details that linked Shaheen Bagh shooter to the Aam Aadmi Party, the Election Commission on Wednesday said his statement was 'totally uncalled for' and barred him from election duty.

The poll body also observed that the investigation had 'political connotations' and Deo's conduct has 'consequences' for 'free and fair elections'.

On Tuesday, Deo told reporters that Kapil Baisala, who had opened fire at the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest site in Shaheen Bagh on Saturday, was a member of the AAP.

This prompted the AAP to approach the poll body against the police officer.

"The Commission has considered the matter in detail and is of the considered view that the above-referred statements referring to a political party at this stage even as the investigation is still going on has the effect of adversely impacting the elections.

"This action was totally uncalled for. The conduct on the part of Rajesh Deo has consequences on the holding of free and fair elections," the poll panel said in a letter to the Delhi Police commissioner.

The commission has asked the Delhi Police to file a compliance report by 6 pm on Thursday.

Baisala not a member of AAP, says his father

Meanwhile, Baisala's father Gaje Singh claimed on Wednesday that the Shaheen Bagh shooter has no association with the AAP.

Gaje Singh, a resident of Dallupura village in New Delhi, said he was a member of the Bahujan Samaj Party but left politics after losing in the 2012 municipal polls.

He asserted that he had no association with the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP.

Gaje Singh had also fought the 2008 Delhi assembly elections on a BSP ticket from Jangpura, but lost.

"There was an event during the previous Lok Sabha elections where people from Dallupura were invited. I went there along with my son.

"We were welcomed by AAP leaders and they put a cap on our head as a welcome gesture. This doesn't mean we are AAP members," Singh said.

He said, "I fought elections in 2008 from Jangpura and then municipal elections in 2012 but later I eventually left politics."

Bharatiya Janata Party members had also met me on an earlier occasion, Gaje Singh claimed.

After the 2012 elections, Singh was active as the BSP's east district president, family members said.

Gaje Singh has three brothers and they are all into the family-owned dairy business. He has one dairy in Dallupura and another at Badarpur where Baisala used to work.

"This is a village and during elections many politicians come and invite the youth and families. Many people from the village went to the (AAP) event so Gaje Singh and Baisala were also there.

"Political parties keep campaigning in villages and when villagers visit their event, they click photos with leaders," Baisala's uncle Fateh Singh said.

The AAP is the ruling party in Delhi and there are so many traders, businessmen, builders and others who keep going to its events.

"That doesn't mean they have become AAP members," he said.

Baisala's family members said if the AAP had "recruited" Gaje Singh and him, there should be joining letters and proofs of the same.

They also claimed that there was no proof on the AAP's social media accounts or letters that Gaje Singh and Baisala were its members.

"He (Gaje Singh) is a much senior person than Kejriwal and was associated with the BSP for about a decade. When he fought elections, Kejriwal's party didn't even exist," Fateh Singh said.

As per Gaje Singh's affidavit with the Election Commission, he has two houses in Modinagar worth Rs 31.50 lakhs.

He also owns a plot in Ghaziabad worth Rs 1.6 crores and has two cars and five motorcycles. In addition to that he has other investments of Rs. 10 to 15 lakhs, as per the affidavit.

Singh who has declared his profession as a farmer and has no criminal cases against him, it states.

The family claimed that Singh had gradually withdrawn from politics and none of his brothers or uncles have any association with any political party.

Baisala' family owns a small real estate firm 'Jay Properties' in Dallupura.

Kishan Singh, a village resident said, "Gaje Singh used to be a part of the BSP and we remember we even campaigned for him when he fought (municipal polls) from Dallupura. The BSP doesn't have much presence in Delhi and he lost. I don't think he is a part of AAP."

If Baisala is from AAP, give him 'double punishment': Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said if Baisala belonged to his party, he should be given a 'double punishment'.

Kejriwal told reporters that there should be no compromise on national security.

"I want to urge (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah not to compromise on national security," he said.

Whoever is responsible for jeopardising law and order should be given a strict punishment, the AAP chief added.
"I am not aware of his (Baisala's) ties with any political party. If he is even remotely related to the AAP, he should be given a double punishment.

"If he deserves 10 years in jail, he should be given a 20-year jail term. There should not be any compromise on national security.

"I also want to ask the Union home minister not to do politics with national security," Kejriwal said.

"Just 48 hours before the Assembly polls, if you (Shah) are sending police officers for a press conference, it exposes your ill-intent. People are not fools, they understand your intention," he added.

Shah should send Baisala to jail irrespective of whether he belonged to the AAP, BJP, Congress or any political party, the chief minister said.