By IANS,
Nagpur : Opposition legislators in the Maharashtra assembly Saturday gunned for state director general of police A.N. Roy again – this time over a court directive to register an FIR (First Information Report) against him. They stalled proceedings of the house and forced an adjournment.
Bharatiya Janata Party member Gopinath Munde drew attention of the house to a directive issued by a Mumbai court Friday to register an FIR against Roy and six other police personnel for detaining social activist Raj Awasthi under Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act on the basis of forged documents in early 2006.
Munde sought a special debate on the matter under Rule 293 (adjournment motion).
A member of National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM), Awasthi had launched a crusade against irregularities in various government schemes.
Suspecting foul play in his detention that came in the meanwhile, he procured police records under the Right to Information Act. He found that the documents, on the basis of which Roy – then Mumbai police chief – sanctioned it, were forged.
While NAPM leader Medha Patkar challenged his detention in the Bombay High Court, Awasthi himself lodged a complaint before the Bandra Metropolitan magistrate who ordered registration of FIR against Roy, then additional commissioner of police R.N. Tadvi, police inspector Vilas Pawar and four others.
Munde, who was in the forefront of opposition members last week demanding action against the DGP for dereliction of duty during the 26/11 terror-strike, reiterated his demand in the light of the new development.
When the house resumed after a 15-minute adjournment, Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar reserved ruling on Munde’s adjournment motion and directed the government to make a statement on the issue Monday.
The DGP’s petition challenging a Central Administrative Tribunal ruling holding his appointment illegal is before the Bombay High Court.