Delhi gang-rape: 'File ATR against minister, others'

A court in Delhi on Monday sought an Action Taken Report from Delhi Police on a plea seeking registration of an FIR against the city transport minister and others, alleging the December 16 gang-rape incident had occurred due to their "corrupt" activities.

Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked the joint commissioner (crime) of Delhi Police to file its ATR by February 8 on the application.

RTI activist Vivek Garg, in his plea, said the bus in which a 23-year-old girl was gangraped, was allowed to ply in the city despite it being unfit for the same and having been impounded on many occasions last year.

Advocate Ajay Goel, appearing for Garg, argued the crime was committed because of "corruption" in the transport department.

The complainant has sought directions to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police to register an FIR against the transport minister, the transport commissioner and others for allegedly committing offences of corruption, cheating, criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy for unlawfully allowing the bus to run without permit, issuing a false fitness certificate to it and issuing a driving licence on fake documents.

Besides the transport minister and officials, Garg also named Dinesh Yadav, the owner of the bus, in his plea.

The complainant has also questioned as to how the bus driver Ram Singh, who is also the prime accused in the gangrape case, managed to obtain a driving licence despite being a handicapped.