New Delhi: The man accused of attacking Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during her Jan Sunwai programme has been sent to five-day police custody. Delhi Police confirmed on Thursday that 41-year-old Rajesh Sakriya Khimjibhai was arrested after the assault at the CM’s Civil Lines camp office on Wednesday morning.
A case of attempt to murder under Sections 109(1), 132, and 221 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Civil Lines police station. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Delhi Police’s Special Cell are jointly investigating the incident, looking into all possible motives, including conspiracy angles.
PWD minister Parvesh Verma said CM Gupta suffered injuries on her head, shoulders, and hands, calling the attack “well-planned and potentially life-threatening.”
How the attack unfolded
Police sources said Khimjibhai entered the office pretending to be a complainant. He allegedly slapped the CM, grabbed her hair, and tried to push her before security personnel overpowered him.
Delhi minister Kapil Mishra called it “not an ordinary attack,” pointing to the seriousness of the assault.
Investigators revealed that Khimjibhai arrived in Delhi two days before the incident and stayed in the Civil Lines area. He claimed he was disturbed by the Supreme Court’s recent order on stray dogs, but police are examining whether there were deeper motives.
CCTV footage from the CM’s residence in Shalimar Bagh shows the accused visiting the area 24 hours before the attack, apparently conducting a recce. His mobile phone also contained videos from the Jan Sunwai programme, suggesting prior planning.
Despite the attack, CM Gupta called it a “cowardly attempt” to shake her commitment to public service, promising that the Jan Sunwai programme would continue as usual.
A history of legal troubles
Police records show Khimjibhai has five previous FIRs registered against him in Rajkot’s Bhaktinagar police station between 2017 and 2024.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Jagdish Bangarva said two cases involved assault and criminal intimidation, while three were under the Excise Act for liquor possession and transportation. He was arrested in all five cases but was acquitted in four. One liquor case remains pending.
Despite this history, neighbours described him as a passionate animal lover. They said he regularly fed stray dogs, took injured animals to hospitals in his rickshaw, and even dreamed of building a shelter. Police also learned he recently approached an industrialist for donations for this purpose.
His mother supported this account, insisting her son had no political links and was deeply disturbed by the Supreme Court’s ruling on stray dogs in Delhi.
Police are continuing the investigation, and more arrests may follow if others are found involved.
