LS Privileges Committee summons Telangana officials on BJP MP's complaint

Hyderabad, Jan 22 (IANS) Lok Sabha Committee of Privileges has served notices to Telangana chief secretary, home secretary, director general of police and four other police officials in connection with the breach of privileges complaint by BJP MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar.

The officials have been directed to appear before the panel on February 3 to give oral evidence on a complaint by the Lok Sabha member from Karimnagar.

Bandi Sanjay Kumar complained to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 3 against Karimnagar Police Commissioner V. Satyanarayana and three other police officials of Karimnagar district for 'forcefully arresting him in an illegal manner and for attempting to produce him before the court for remand in connection with filing of alleges false cases against him'.

Sanjay appeared before the 15-member Privileges Committee on Friday and explained how the police manhandled him. He urged the panel headed by Sunil Kumar Singh to take action against the police officers involved.

The Lok Sabha Committee of Privileges has issued notices to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Principal Secretary (Home) Ravi Gupta, Director General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy, Karimnagar Police Commissioner V. Satyanarayana, ACP Srinivasa Rao, DSP Prakash and inspector Lakshmi Babu.

Sanjay Kumar, who is also the president of BJP's Telangana unit, was arrested by police in Karimnagar on the night of January 2 when he along with his supporters were sitting on a 'night vigil' to protest against a Government Order relating to transfer of government employees and teachers.

As the police denied permission for the protest in view of the restrictions on rallies, meetings and public gatherings to curb Covid-19 in the state, the MP along with his supporters locked themselves in MP's camp office to stage the protest. Police broke into the office to arrest the MP. He was booked for violation of Disaster Management Act and for attacking policemen.

The next day, Sanjay was produced before a magistrate, who remanded him to judicial custody. Telangana High Court later struck down the MP's remand and ordered his release.

The MP had alleged that the police commissioner and other officials acted in a high-handed manner and manhandled him. The police officers denied the allegations.