NAGPUR:
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced that the director
general of police (DGP) will be asked to probe complaints of misbehaviour by police officers with seven MLAs and submit a report in 15 days.
The legislators, including one belonging to BJP, had narrated their woes in the assembly on Wednesday through breach of privilege motions and demanded strict action against the errant cops.
The legislature has a privilege committee comprising MLAs for dealing with such cases. In many cases, the committee had not taken a decision even after six years. Neither the chief minister nor the assembly speaker asked the committee to expedite its working. This is the first time that the committee is being bypassed for breach of privilege cases.
Fadnavis urged the speaker to constitute a propriety committee for dealing with cases of minor misbehaviour by government officers with MLAs. “It should have members of both treasury and opposition benches. The leader of opposition can be made the chairman of the committee,” he said.
The MLAs had unanimously demanded that amendment to Section 353 of
Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, should be scrapped. They claimed that the government servants misused this provision against legislators.
CM announced that the government would set up a committee comprising members of assembly as well as legislative council to study the issue. “The committee would be asked to submit its report in three months. The government will implement whatever it recommends,” he said.
The issue rocked the assembly on Wednesday. Speaker Haribhau Bagde had to announce suspension of Shrigonda PSI Mahadeo Jadhav, who was accused of insulting NCP MLA
Chhagan Bhujbal.
Shiv Sena MLA Nagesh Ashtikar played an audio clip in which a police officer was
hurling expletives against him behind the back.
Devendra Fadnavis
