Suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma during a programme at Delhi University. (PTI Photo)A team of Mumbai police stationed in New Delhi since Monday is struggling to serve a physical copy of the summons to Nupur Sharma, the BJP’s suspended spokesperson. A case was registered against Sharma at Pydhonie police station after she made remarks against Prophet Mohammad following which the Mumbai police had sent her a soft copy of the summons via email on June 12.
According to police officials, a team was dispatched early this week to hand over a physical copy of the summons.
“Although we have mailed her a copy of summons, it is mandatory to serve her a physical copy for which a team was sent,” said an officer.
However, owing to alleged lack of cooperation from the local police in New Delhi, the team of the Mumbai police has been struggling to serve a notice to the 37-year-old leader.
Explaining the procedure, a senior IPS officer said, “Whenever we go to another state to serve summons to a person wanted in a case, we have to inform the local police following which they enter the details of the case in their station house dairy and subsequently, personnel are deputed to accompany us. We then go with them and hand over the copy of the summons. We have to follow this protocol because if we fail to do so and if there is a law and order problem then we will be blamed.”
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Accordingly, in this case, the Pydhonie police officials had informed the local police in New Delhi. Mumbai Police officers, however, said that they are not getting any cooperation from the Delhi Police in helping serve the notice due to which the team is stuck in the capital.
Earlier, on June 12, the Mumbai Police had issued a notice in the case under Section 41 (A) of the Criminal Procedure Code. It was sent on Sharma’s email ID in which the investigators instructed her to appear before them on June 25.
The FIR was registered on a complaint filed by a Raza Academy office-bearer for allegedly making derogatory remarks on Prophet Mohammad.
The police officials have said that they want to record Sharma’s statement in connection with the investigation as they want to get her side of the story.
When contacted, assistant commissioner of police (Pydhonie division) Samir Najir Shaikh refused to comment on the matter, stating that the senior police inspector of Pydhonie police station should be contacted instead.
When The Indian Express reached out to senior police inspector Shrikant Ningoji Rajarampatil, he said, “The investigation is in process and we won’t be able to divulge these kind of details in the case.”
Earlier, Sharma had been summoned by Mumbra police station where an FIR had been registered against her for similar reasons. An officer said that based on her statement and other evidence gathered so far, they will decide on further course of action.
During a TV debate last month, Nupur Sharma, then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson, had made controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad, triggering outrage on social media. After several Arab countries expressed strong concerns over the comments, the BJP suspended Sharma on June 5. BJP’s Delhi spokesperson, Naveen Kumar Jindal, was expelled from the party the same day for similar remarks on Twitter.
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