Ahmedabad, Aug 20 — Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was attacked by a man during a public hearing at her residence on Wednesday, sending shockwaves across the political spectrum in the national capital.
The attacker was identified as Rajesh Khimji Sakariya, 41, a resident of Rajkot, Gujarat. He was immediately taken into custody after the incident. Court records reveal that Sakariya has been embroiled in multiple criminal cases over the past decade, though most have ended in acquittals due to lack of evidence.
His first major case dates back to 2017, when Bhaktinagar Police booked him under IPC Sections 326, 504 and 114 for assault and abetment. Tried as Case No. 198/2018, he was acquitted by the 8th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court, Rajkot, in November 2019.
In 2020, he faced two prohibition cases under the Gujarat Prohibition Act. The first (FIR No. 1227/2020) was dismissed in November 2023, and the second (FIR No. 1591/2020) ended in another acquittal in October 2023. In 2022, Sakariya was again booked in a prohibition case (FIR No. 871/2022), which is still pending before the 2nd Additional Civil Judge and JMFC Court, Rajkot, with the next hearing slated for September 29, 2025.
His most recent case was registered in 2024 under IPC Sections 324, 323, 504, 114, and Section 135(1) of the Gujarat Police Act. Despite the serious charges, the 6th Additional Judicial Magistrate’s Court acquitted him in December 2024.
In all, Sakariya has faced five major cases between 2017 and 2024. Four have ended in acquittals, while one remains pending. His track record of repeated arrests and subsequent acquittals raises concerns about investigative shortcomings and the broader difficulty of securing convictions in prohibition-related offences.
