Ranchi, Sept. 30: Conflicting messages from ministers in the state government regarding the manner in which arrested pollution control board chairman Tileshwar Sahu should be treated has apparently put the Gumla district administration in a quandary.
It was believed that Anosh Ekka, Sahu’s “friend”, was behind his present predicament. Though Ekka claimed to have no ill feelings towards Sahu (in picture), the message sent to the district administration was to see that he was put behind the bars rather than in hospital.
A couple days ago following his arrest in connection with the murder of a former army jawan, Sahu was sent to 14 days’ judicial remand after being produced before a judge at his residence on a holiday. He was shifted to the hospital following the order of a Gumla court.
However, while Ekka — who is yet to get a portfolio like the rest of the ministers — wants the district officials to be “harsh” towards Sahu, Bandhu Tirkey — Ekka’s cabinet colleague — was understood to have told the officials that Sahu should not be sent to jail.
Ekka has publicly declared that it was wrong to drag his name in the arrest of Sahu. “I have no ill feeling towards him and have family friendship with him for years. It is a conspiracy to create a rift between Sadans and Christians,” Ekka said.
Replying to Sahu’s charge that he was after his life, Ekka said: “Which is a safer place than jail? In many cases even hardcore criminals prefer jail to home,” said Ekka.
He added that during the Arjun Munda regime he had got him nominated as the chairman of the pollution control board. Ekka refers to the incident of May 1, 2004, when he was reportedly instrumental in saving Sahu. Ekka has even assured people of the Teli community — to which Sahu belongs — that he had no ill intention towards them. “I never indulge in caste politics,” Ekka said.
Ekka has also advised Sahu not to become a party to the “nefarious designs of the NDA”. He said the Koda government would do justice to him.
Former finance minister Raghubar Das has, however, described the arrest of Sahu as a retaliatory action of the new government. “While the government was trying to protect an MLA (Bhanu Pratap Sahi) with several criminal cases and make him a minister, at the same it has started taking action against the NDA supporters,” Das said.
