Mumbai: A team from the Mumbai Police has been camping in Delhi since Thursday to serve summons on the suspended BJP spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, who faces police cases registered against her in five police stations in Maharashtra for her objectionable remarks against the Prophet Mohammed.
Amid reports of her being 'untraceable', the Mumbai police team has not even been able to reach her house so far, due to alleged lack of adequate support from local law enforcement agencies, police sources confirmed.
Sharma was booked by the Pydhonie police on charges of hurting religious sentiments after a complaint against her was received from the Raza Academy in Mumbai. The complaint was registered on the basis of certain derogatory comments about Islam that she made on a news channel debate. The police had last week sent her summons via email, asking her to present herself for inquiries by June 25.
“A police team reached Delhi on Thursday to serve a physical copy of the summons as well as to conduct some further investigations in the case,” a senior Mumbai Police officer said.
However, as per protocol, any police team, while conducting any action in another state, has to seek assistance from the local police. This is done firstly as a professional courtesy to inform the concerned police station about the action being conducted in their jurisdiction as well as so that the local police can help with any issues that might come up in the course of the investigation.
\However, sources told the Free Press Journal that that Mumbai police team has not even been able to reach Sharma's residence in Delhi since Thursday, due to lack of support from the local police.
Meanwhile, reports of Sharma being 'untraceable' started flying thick and fast since Friday morning, but police officials said that there was no evidence to confirm that Sharma was actually untraceable.
‘‘She might even be at her residence for all we know but our team does not have access to it, at this moment. The team is camping in Delhi for now,” the officer said.
When contacted, Additional Commissioner of Police (South Region) Dilip Sawant confirmed that a team was in Delhi but declined to comment on reports of Sharma being untraceable.
Sharma has been getting scores of messages and emails threatening to kill and otherwise harm her ever since she made the statements on television. This month alone, two bounties have been placed on her head, one by an AIMIM Inquilab leader in Hyderabad and the other by Bhim Sena chief Satpal Tanwar in Haryana. Both have been arrested by the police and the Delhi police have also provided her with security in light of the threat.
