Mumbai: After being clouted by some legislators a day after he fined one of them for speeding, a Maharashtra police officer was on Monday suspended for being 'rude' even as two arrested MLAs allegedly involved in the incident in the Assembly premises walked out of jail on bail.
Home Minister RR Patil announced in the Assembly the suspension of Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Suryavanshi for being 'rude and misbehaving' with Bahujan Vikas Agadhi MLA Kshitij Thakur, a decision ostensibly aimed at buying peace with the legislators who stalled proceedings of the two Houses of legislature over the last few days demanding action against the officer.
Patil said he had watched the CD of the 'verbal duel' Suryavanshi had with Thakur on Bandra-Worli sealink on March 18 following which he had announced in the legislative council that the incident will be probed and the officer would be sent on forced leave.
Suryawanshi had allegedly stopped Thukur's vehicle a day before he was beaten up on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link when the MLA was on his way to attend the Legislative Assembly Session. Thakur was reportedly fined because his vehicle had exceeded the speed limit. There was an altercation between the legislator and the policeman, during which, the latter allegedly misbehaved with the MLA.
Following the incident, the policeman was thrashed at the entrance to the visitors gallery in the House, by a group of legislators including Thakur, Kadam, Rajan Salvi (Shiv Sena), Pradeep Jaiswal (Independent), among others.
Thakur and Kadam walked out of jail as Metropolitan Magistrate UM Padwad ordered their release on bail. The court ordered their release on sureties of Rs 15,000 each and directed them to appear before the Crime Branch office in Mumbai every Wednesday between 11 am and 1 pm, till the completion of investigation.
The two MLAs were arrested on Thursday after they had surrendered before the Crime Branch following registration of an FIR against them based on a complaint by Suryavanshi.
However, the protesting MLAs lashed out at Suryavanshi, saying he had no business to be in the Assembly premises. They contended that their fellow MLAs had been wrongly booked under section 353 of the IPC (obstructing a government servant from discharging his duties) as Suryavanshi was not on duty when he was allegedly assaulted.
Patil also announced the setting up of a seven-member committee headed by Ganpatrao Deshmukh, seniormost MLA belonging to Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), to probe the assault on Suryavanshi.
Meanwhile, Speaker Dilip Walse Patil asked the chairman of the committee Deshmukh to submit his report as early as possible. The terms of reference of the committee would include whether suspension of five legislators accused of beating up the police officer be revoked or not. The committee is expected to submit its report in a week's time.
With Additional Inputs From PTI
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