MLAs not done with cop yet

Almost a week after sub-inspector Sachin Suryavanshi was chased and assaulted by a group of angry legislators inside the Vidhan Bhavan premises for daring to stop MLA Kshitij Thakur’s car for speeding on the Bandra Worli Sea Link, he was suspended by the state government.

A preliminary report has found him guilty of using “coarse” language while penalising Thakur last Monday.

Even as the suspension was announced in the state legislature — which was rocked for two days with legislators across party lines demanding action against the policeman and against policemen who entered the legislature premises for investigating the incident — the two MLAs arrested for the attack on Suryavanshi were released on bail.

A metropolitan magistrate’s court granted bail to Ram Kadam of the MNS and Kshitij Thakur of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi on a cash surety of Rs15,000 each. While bail was granted ending the duo’s three-day jail ordeal, the court ordered the two to be present at the crime branch office every Wednesday between 11am and 1pm until the investigation is complete.

Home minister RR Patil said he watched a CD of the recorded conversation between Suryavanshi and Thakur. DCP (traffic) Subhash Nilewad subsequently investigated the incident and submitted a report which, Patil said, detailed the indecent language used by the policeman.

“Suryavanshi’s language was disrespectful, rude. It does not behove a police officer to speak that language,” said Patil. The PSI would remain suspended till the committee submits its final report, he said.

In contrast, PSI Suryavanshi’s statement to the police has revealed that when he asked MLA Kshitij Thakur to pay the fine for violating a traffic rule, the latter allegedly threw a Rs1,000 note on the face of a policeman on duty.

According to the statement, Suryavanshi was on traffic duty on March 18 near the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. That afternoon, Suryavanshi stopped Thakur’s vehicle for speeding, following which a heated argument ensued.

“When I asked Thakur to pay the fine for speeding, he took a Rs1,000 note and threw it on the face of a policeman. The note fell on the road. The policeman then took the note from the ground; a fine of Rs700 was taken and a receipt was given to the offender along with the remaining Rs300,” Suryavanshi has said in his statement.

Kshitij Thakur’s father, former MLA Hitendra Thakur, said: “I don’t know if my son threw a currency note. But he did pay a fine.”

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