Mumbai: In a shocking incident, a group of Indian MLAs today beat up a policeman who had allegedly stopped the vehicle of Vasai MLA Kshitij Thakur on the Bandra-Worli sealink here yesterday.
The melee occurred outside the House at noon when a group of MLAs led by Thakur caught hold of Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Suryavanshi and roughed him up.
After the Question Hour, Thakur moved a breach of privilege notice against the policeman for obstructing his vehicle on the Bandra-Worli sealink. He gave details of the incident which took place yesterday when he was on his way to attend the Assembly proceedings and how the policeman had “misbehaved” with him. Enraged by Thakur’s account, members cutting across party lines were on their feet demanding that the official be suspended. Amid the uproar, the House was adjourned for 20 minutes.
Suryavanshi, who was seated in the visitor’s gallery made hand gestures looking down towards the members. Thakur identified him as the same policeman who had obstructed him yesterday. The MLAs Ram Kadam (MNS), Rajan Salvi (Shiv Sena), Pradeep Jaiswal (Independent) and Jaykumar Rawal (BJP) rushed outside the House and caught the policeman on the first floor of the Vidhan Bhavan building and beat him.
The House witnessed two more adjournments for half an hour each. Speaker Dilip Walse Patil said the entire incident including the melee outside the House needed to be probed and disallowed the members from speaking about it. This did not go down well with the members who were firm on their demand to take action against the police official. Suryavanshi was taken away by the Vidhan Bhavan security staff and kept in a room where doctors checked him. Home Minister R R Patil and Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse as well as few MLAs visited him in the security room.
The issue of the cop’s misbehaviour with the MLA was first raised in the Legislative Council yesterday by deputy chairman Vasant Davkhare to which Home Minister R R Patil had declared that the policeman will be sent on forced leave till the inquiry is complete.
