Delhi Police on Monday filed a non-cognisable report (NCR) against Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma for slapping a man during a road inspection in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar on Sunday, amid a political row over the incident. Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against AAP MLA Jarnail Singh based on the Delhi government’s complaint that he obstructed officials in the discharge of their duties.

The NCR was registered against the PWD minister for voluntarily causing hurt, under Section 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), on the basis of a complaint filed by the man, identified as Sahib Singh.

Registering an NCR does not automatically initiate an investigation. Unlike an FIR, a magistrate’s order is required for the police to conduct a probe after NCR and the police also cannot make an arrest without a warrant.

The incident took place on Sunday when Verma was inspecting road repair work on a stretch of the Outer Ring Road. Singh reportedly pulled out portions of the newly laid surface with his hand to highlight what he claimed was poor construction quality.

A video showing Verma slapping the man circulated widely on social media, escalating the row with opposition parties slamming the ruling BJP.

The incident occurred in the presence of AAP MLA from Tilak Nagar, Jarnail Singh, who was questioning the quality of the newly laid road surface.