By IANS,
Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for Home Ramdayal Ahirwar’s son and two others accused of manhandling and abusing a police officer were arrested and later released on bail, the police said Thursday.
Ahirwar, who belongs to Chhattarpur district, was made minister June 5 by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Ahirwar’s son Laxmi, who is president of Chhattarpur district’s Maharajpur Nagar Panchayat, and two others wanted the police officer to arrange vehicles for them to attend the swearing-in ceremony of his father.
When the official expressed his helplessness, the minister’s son allegedly barged into his house, broke window panes and damaged vehicles parked in the premises.
He and his associates left the house only after the officer whipped out his revolver in defence.
Though the officer informed the Chhattarpur police superintendent immediately after the incident, the case against Laxmi and his accomplices was registered only after 20 hours.
“The case was registered Saturday evening,” said Jagdeesh Shukla, Chhattarpur district Congress Committee president adding: “Cases against the accused have been registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code that are bailable. Since the accused had forced himself into the police officer’s house, they should have been charged under sections like 452 of IPC (a non-bailable offence)”.
The Congress has demanded Laxmi’s arrest and resignation by Ramdayal Ahirwar as minister.
The Congress leaders submitted a memorandum to the district collector Tuesday saying: “the ‘drama’ of arrest and release ended within 15 minutes that too late Wednesday evening – six days after the incident.”
Ahirwar told IANS: “The law will take its own course and I have nothing to do with it”.
Chhattarpur superintendent of police D. Sriniwas Rao, however, refuted the Congress charge of the case being registered under less stringent sections of the IPC. He, however, did not elaborate and said: “I can’t say anything more since I am in a meeting.”