New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS): Delhi Police Friday refused to suspend four of its officers who allegedly refused to act against a sex and drug gang, but the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government reiterated the demand.
Education Minister Manish Sisodia said the government wanted the officials suspended until an inquiry ordered Friday by Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung into the policemen's conduct was over.
"Their suspension is necessary, otherwise there will be a problem in the inquiry," Sisodia told the media.
The Lt. Governor's office said a retired judge, B.L. Garg, would conduct the probe.
Sisodia also demanded the suspension of the station house officer (SHO) of the central Delhi area where a 51-year-old Danish woman was gang-raped Tuesday.
"No accountability has been fixed in this case. Rapists roam scot free in that area. What was police doing there? The SHO of that area must be suspended," he said.
"Our government won't keep quiet. This is not Sheila Dikshit's government. The government has changed. We will take action whether or not Delhi Police is under us," he said.
Sisodia, the de facto No.2 in the ruling AAP, said a government delegation led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the Lt. Governor and pressed for the suspension.
Sisodia said that while Jung said he won't suspend anyone, Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said suspending the men "now will be difficult".
Sisodia denied charges of vigilantism hurled against two Delhi ministers - Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla.
Bharti accused Delhi Police of not acting against a sex and drug racket despite repeated complaints while Birla alleged that police were refusing to arrest a family that had set their daughter-in-law on fire.
On Thursday, Kejriwal asked Delhi Police to suspend the officers, including the station house officers (SHO) of Malviya Nagar in south Delhi and Sagarpur in west Delhi.
"Police don't not take action in a case of woman being burnt alive. They are not accountable to incidents of rape and drug and sex rackets," Sisodia said.
He said if Delhiites wanted police to act effectively, the AAP government "will fix Delhi Police".
The AAP will now take the demand for suspension to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
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