Rajasthan Congress to Sue After Police Refuse Zero FIR
Rajasthan Congress leaders will seek court intervention after Jaipur police refused to register a Zero FIR for the alleged assault of NSUI Secretary Ritu Barala.
The Indian National Congress announced it will seek judicial intervention after the Jaipur Police Commissionerate refused to register a Zero FIR regarding the alleged assault of National Students' Union of India (NSUI) National Secretary Ritu Barala. Barala was reportedly beaten and hospitalized during a protest in Delhi by Delhi Police personnel.
Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra led a three-day sit-in protest at the Jaipur Police Commissionerate on October 21. During the demonstration, Dotasra sustained a leg injury after slipping on stairs, which Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully stated would limit his mobility for several days. Congress leaders cited Section 173(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to argue that an FIR can be registered anywhere in the country, noting that Kerala police had successfully registered a Zero FIR under the same law for a similar complaint.
Jaipur Additional Commissioner of Police Dr. Ajay Singh rejected the demand, stating a Zero FIR was not applicable because the victim had already submitted a grievance to the relevant police station. Rajasthan BJP President Madan Rathore dismissed the protest as a "political stunt," arguing the complaint should be filed where the incident occurred. Congress leaders accused the police of "hooliganism" and acting as agents for the BJP, with former state minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas warning that officials acting improperly would be held accountable.
