The man, along with four others, was taken into custody for interrogation by the Delhi Police in Rajkot. Following the initial questioning, he was transferred to Delhi for more detailed investigations. Authorities have detained him as part of the ongoing probe into the assault on Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, which took place earlier this week at her official residence in Civil Lines.
According to officials, the detained individual has been identified as Tahseen Saiyed, a resident of Rajkot. Investigators discovered that he had transferred a sum of ₹2,000 to the primary accused, Rajesh Bhai Khimji Bhai Sakariya. On this basis, Saiyed was picked up for interrogation alongside four other individuals in Rajkot, after which he was escorted to Delhi for further questioning.
The incident involving Chief Minister Rekha Gupta occurred during her weekly Jan Sunwai, a public hearing session she organizes at her Civil Lines residence every Wednesday morning. These gatherings, introduced after she took charge of office, are aimed at giving citizens from across Delhi an opportunity to directly present their complaints and concerns to the Chief Minister in person.
During this session, the accused, Sakariya, managed to enter the premises by arriving in an autorickshaw and posing as one of the complainants. He presented some documents under the pretext of requesting the release of an imprisoned relative. Without warning, he suddenly attacked the Chief Minister by slapping her, pushing her forcefully, and then grabbing her hair in front of those present.
The Chief Minister momentarily lost her balance from the impact of the push, but a wall behind her prevented her from falling to the ground. Her security staff quickly intervened, striking the attacker’s arm to make him loosen his grip. The 41-year-old assailant was immediately subdued, restrained, and placed under arrest on the spot before being handed over to the police.
After the incident, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta denounced the assault, describing it as a cowardly attack meant to undermine her commitment to public service. In a post shared on X, she reaffirmed her dedication by stating that such acts of violence could never break her determination to serve the people. She further emphasized that the incident had only strengthened her spirit, promising to engage with the public with even greater enthusiasm and dedication.
Investigations have revealed that the attacker, Sakariya, works as an autorickshaw driver in Rajkot and already has a criminal background. His record includes five previously registered cases in Gujarat, involving offenses such as liquor smuggling and violent assault.
In defense of her son, Sakariya’s mother alleged that he suffers from mental health issues and had been disturbed by a recent Supreme Court ruling ordering municipal bodies in Delhi-NCR to capture stray dogs and relocate them to shelters. However, the police have dismissed this explanation, highlighting that the accused neither carried any legitimate petition nor had a relative in prison, thereby discrediting the supposed motive.
Authorities have charged Sakariya under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). These include Section 132, which pertains to assaulting a public servant, Section 221, related to obstructing a public servant in the performance of duty, and Section 109, which involves charges of attempted murder.
Following the attack, the Ministry of Home Affairs conducted a detailed review of the Chief Minister’s security arrangements. Based on the findings, her security cover was significantly strengthened, and she has now been assigned protection under the ‘Z’ category level of security.
