RS chairman allows privilege move against Etah DM, police chief

RS chairman allows privilege move against Etah DM, police chief
HARISH GUPTA

NEW DELHI, AUG 7: In an unprecedented move, Rajya Sabha chairman Krishan Kant, admitted a motion of privilege against District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police of Etah (UP) regarding ``filing of a false FIR against Sakshi Maharaj (a Samajwadi Party MP) and alleged misbehaviour'' by them.

Though admission of privilege motion to protect rights of the MPs had been admitted in the past, what shocked ruling as well as opposition parties in Sakshi Maharaj's case was the language of the motion prepared by the RS secretariat.

It stated that privileges committee of Rajya Sabha would examine matter of privilege regarding filing of ``false FIR''. Though no leader is willing to comment on decision of RS chairman, they say it was wrong to say that the FIR is false.

The FIR had been lodged by a lady, of sexual abuse and harassment, who was given employment by Sakshi Maharaj. There are rulings of Supreme Court that FIR in such cases should immediately be registered and investigations conducted.

``How could Privileges Committee of RS be empowered to look into the criminal case against an individual?'' wondered a senior counsel who is also an RS member.

Secondly, when matter was raised during zero hour by Maharaj on August 2, he complained that copy of FIR was not given to him by the DM and SSP of Etah. Maharaj also said that Etah DM had rung him up previous night saying action against him would be taken in said FIR by the police. ``Therefore, you go to Mulayam Singh Yadav and he alone can save you,'' Maharaj quoted the DM, in Rajya Sabha.

Maharaj made no mention of the misbehaviour by DM or SSP in the House. Though Bhartendu Prakash Singhal (BJP) objected to raising of the matter in the House, chairman permitted him to speak and finally referred matter to privileges committee.

When contacted, Parliamentary Affairs minister Pramod Mahajan expressed ignorance over acceptance of privilege motion.