New Delhi: The Madhya Pradesh police registered a first information report (FIR) against Congress MLA Sajjan Singh Verma for inaugurating a newly constructed bridge over the Seep river in chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Budhni constituency in Sehore district, news reports said.
According to the Times of India, state home minister Narottam Mishra said Verma, who is also former public works department (PWD) minister, inaugurated the bridge on June 29 at Nasrullahganj even before the technical parameters and load testing were completed. The bridge was to be inaugurated by Chouhan on July 1, after load testing on June 30 and a final approval by PWD engineers.
“By doing so, he [Verma] had put people’s lives in danger. If an accident happened, who would be responsible for it? This is why an FIR has been registered against him,” Mishra told TOI on Friday.
The bridge connects Nasrullahganj in Sehore district to Khategone in Dewas district. It was damaged last year during the monsoons and had been fixed at the cost of Rs 4 crore.
As per the Indian Express, Verma along with 78 others was booked under IPC section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 336 (neglecting safety and endangering life of others), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), as well as sections 3 and 5 of the Prevention to Damage of Public Property Act, along with section 51 of the Disaster Management Act.
The complaint was made by Somesh Shrivastav, sub-divisional officer of the PWD, the report said.
His written application to the police stated that while the bridge was ready, it was yet to undergo load testing. However, on June 30, Verma inaugurated it and threw it open for the public.
However, Verma said that the bridge was ready for inauguration, but now the police is saying the bridge wasn’t completely ready.
“The police is now saying that the bridge wasn’t completely ready while I have news articles claiming contrary to it,” Verma told the daily.
As the chief minister was expected for inauguration, it was not thrown open for public use, Verma told Indian Express.
In a tweet, Verma said, “Shivraj feels that by registering an FIR against the people of Opposition, he can suppress their voices? Don’t forget Shivraj that this is the great democracy of India.”
बिना जनादेश के धनबल से सत्ता हथियाने वाले शिवराज को लगता है कि विपक्ष के लोगों पर FIR कर उनकी आवाज दबा देंगे??
यह मत भूलो शिवराज कि यह भारत का महान लोकतंत्र है, यहां जनता ही सर्वे सर्वा है!!@OfficeOfKNath @INCMP @IYCMadhya @NSUIMP @MpPMC @CongressSevadal
— Sajjan Singh Verma (@sajjanvermaINC) July 3, 2021
Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta told the daily, “The FIR only shows the autocratic approach of the government. Inaugurating a bridge for public good has now become an offence of IPC.”