Cop thrashed by MLAs: Probe report lets off MLAs, wants cop investigated

A committee of legislators who probed the incident where three MLAs allegedly thrashed a traffic police official for stopping one of them for speeding, has reportedly found two of the lawmakers guilty but has recommended the revoking of their suspension. However it curiously enough also recommended an inquiry against the Assistant Police Inspector for his ‘behaviour’ against MLAs, particularly Thakur when he stopped him for speeding, reported Times Now. The committee that probed the attack on Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Suryavanshi in the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan premises on 20 March in its report has found two of the MLAs - Kshitij Thakur and Ram Kadam- guilty of assauling the police official, reported CNN-IBN. An FIR had been registered against Vasai MLA Kshitij Thakur and MNS legislator Ram Kadam (MNS) and fourteen others for allegedly assaulting Suryavanshi. [caption id=“attachment_709336” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Screengrab of the assaulted police official being carried away.[/caption] The duo were booked under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation). They had been arrested and released on bail after the incident. The assaulted police official had been admitted in hospital following the assault and was subsequently discharged. However, he was later suspended till the inquiry into the incident was completed. The seven-member Ganpatrao Deshmukh panel observed that injuries inflicted on Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Suryavanshi were “not serious”. The panel suggested revoking the suspension of the three MLAs–Rajan Salvi (Shiv Sena), Jaykumar Raval (BJP) and Pradeep Jaiswal (Independent)– as it did not find any proof of their involvement in the March 19 assault on Suryavanshi. It recommended revocation of their suspension in the ongoing session itself, apparently as CCTV footages did not show them beating up the officer. Reading out the recommendations of the committee, Speaker Dilip Walse Patil said it found the conduct of Suryavanshi with Nalasopara MLA Kshitij Thakur on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link a day before, which triggered the ugly incident, as “objectionable”. The panel, he said, has recommended a departmental inquiry against Suryavanshi, who has already been suspended. The committee found Thakur, Bahujan Vikas Agadhi MLA, and Ram Kadam (MNS), guilty of thrashing the officer but recommended rescinding their suspension in the monsoon session, apparently as criminal cases have been filed against them. The panel has also asked the CCTV network in the Vidhan Bhavan premises to be upgraded and strengthened. Walse Patil said he had read out the recommendations of the committee and the Legislative Assembly will have to take a decision regarding implementation of the recommendations. The House panel comprised Ganpatrao Deshmukh (Peasants and Workers Party), Sadashiv Patil (Congress), Nawab Malik (NCP), Dilip Sopal (Independent), R M Wani (Shiv Sena), Girish Bapat (BJP) and Uttamrao Dikle (MNS). The committee had seven meetings and examined 17 witnesses. The government had already suspended Suryavanshi, a traffic police sub-inspector at Worli. He had named Kadam and Thakur in the FIR. PTI