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The Bihar Police Men’s Association (BPMA), Muzaffarpur unit, has refused to provide a JD(U) MLC with security, accusing him of assaulting and abusing personnel deployed at his house.
“Dinesh Prasad Singh, the MLC, abused 19 policemen deployed at his house at Bhagwanpur in the Sadar area and beat up one of them on Sunday night. All security personnel left the MLC’s house on Monday night in protest against the MLC’s action,” a senior office-bearer of the association said on Tuesday.
A petition has been lodged with the Scheduled Caste police station in the town against the alleged misbehaviour of the MLC, whose wife, Veena Devi, is the BJP MLA from Gaighat.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajesh Kumar said Krishna Kanhaiya, the petitioner, was deployed in Singh’s house along with 18 other police personnel.
“Singh was drunk and held Bimal Choudhary, one of the security personnel, by his collar and beat him up. The MLC was charged with abusing and threatening the rest of the security personnel with dire consequences if they raised voice against him,” Kumar quoted the petition filed by Kanhaiya.
The SSP added that he has asked deputy superintendent of police (Town) Upendra Prasad to probe into the incident and furnish report within two days. “Necessary action will be taken once the investigation is complete,” he said.
Though Prasad initially refused to comment on the issue, he said investigation was on and the formality of filing an FIR against the accused would be made once the initial probe was over. The legislator, however, rubbished the allegation. “I had reprimanded the policemen for taking their duty in a frivolous way. But I never used any abusive language against them,” Singh said.
“I returned to the town late last (Monday) night and was surprised to see the armed guards were missing from duty,” the MLC said, adding that he would soon meet the zonal inspector-general of police, Gupteshwar Pandey, and seek his intervention to resolve the controversy.
Bihar Police Men’s Association president Dukhi Singh said: “Our members are angry with the misconduct of the legislator. We have requested the SSP not to deploy any policemen to guard Singh’s house and work as the MLA or his wife’s bodyguards.”
He added: “If the SSP orders re-deployment of 19 policemen by replacing the earlier set of personnel from the police line, the officer would be held accountable for any unsavoury incident in future.”
The administration has, however, deputed four constables of Bihar Military Police, at Singh’s house. Two armed guards from Patna Armed Police have also been provided to Singh and his MLA wife for security.
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