New Delhi: Three months after the death of their maid, Delhi Police on Saturday chargesheeted BSP MP Dhananjay Singh and his wife Jagriti, accusing her of murder and the lawmaker of abetting the crime and destruction of evidence.
The police chargesheeted Jagriti, a dental surgeon at a government hospital, for various offences punishable under the IPC, including sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 344 (wrongfully confining for 10 or more days), 506 (criminal intimidation) and under the Juvenile Justice Act.
While against Dhananjay, the police has invoked various provisions of the IPC including 109 (abetment of any offence), 201 (destruction of evidence) and under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Along with the charge sheet, hard disc of the CCTV cameras installed at Jagriti`s residence, where the incident allegedly took place, and statements of the prosecution witnesses were also filed before the court.
Metropolitan Magistrate Dheeraj Mittal has now fixed the charge sheet for consideration on February 4.
During the proceedings, the prosecutor told the court that some reports from the forensic science laboratory was still awaited and they would file it before the court later.
The prosecutor also said that hard disc of CCTV cameras contains "sensitive information" and it should be kept in a sealed cover with the court.
Copy of the charge sheet and other documents annexed with it were provided to both the accused, who were present in the courtroom. Dhananjay, a BSP MP from Jaunpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and Jagriti are presently in judicial custody.
Earlier, the police had filed a charge sheet against Dhananjay before another court in connection with a separate case lodged against him for repeatedly raping a 42-year-old railway employee for nearly four years.
Another court has taken cognizance of the charge sheet filed against Dhananjay in the rape case.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sonu Agnihotri has fixed February 6 for scrutiny of documents filed with the charge sheet.
In the rape case, Singh has been chargesheeted for the offences under various penal provisions of the IPC, including 376(2)(h) (rape knowing that a woman is pregnant) & 376 (2)(n) (repeatedly raping the same woman), 377 (unnatural offence), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
In the charge sheet, the police alleged that Singh had repeatedly raped the woman between July 2005 to March 2009.
Dhananjay was arrested by the police in connection with the rape case on November 21 last year and he is presently in judicial custody.
Earlier, Jagriti and Dhananjay were arrested on November 5, last year in connection with the death of their 35-year-old maid Rakhi Bhadra, a resident of West Bengal.
Rakhi`s body with injury marks on her legs, chest and arms was recovered from Singh`s South Avenue residence here on the evening of November 4 last year.
The police had said the MP and Jagriti allegedly used to "mercilessly" beat and torture their three domestic helps-- Rakhi, Meena and a minor. The minor domestic help had earlier showed to the court his severe injuries allegedly inflicted by Jagriti.
Police had said the domestic helps were allegedly tortured and thrashed by Jagriti with sticks, iron rods, clothes iron and even metallic deer horns.
Singh, who also faces charges of murder and offences under the UP Gangsters Act, was arrested for allegedly destroying evidence, not informing the police about the maid`s death immediately and employing a juvenile as domestic help.
