The seven-member legislative committee formed to probe the beating of Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Suryawanshi has asked for a review of the CCTV network at Vidhan Bhavan and look into strengthening it
The recommendation comes in the wake of unavailability of crucial footage of the beating incident in the corridor of the Vidhan Bhavan on March 19.
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The committee has cleared MLAs Jaikumar Rawal, Pradip Jaiswal and Rajan Salvi of any involvement in the incident. On the other hand, the report, tabled in State Assembly last Friday, observed that both MLAs Ram Kadam and Kshitij Thakur were involved in the beating incident. Since criminal cases have been lodged against them, their suspension should be revoked in the first week of the Monsoon Session of the state legislature, the committee has recommended.
The committee, headed by Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh, held seven meetings and recorded statements of 17 witnesses in the incident. Rest of the conclusions and recommendations of the committee are as follows Behavior of API Sachin Suryawanshi was objectionable and inappropriate. Hence he should face a departmental inquiry immediately.
It has been observed that despite several circulars on how the elected representatives should be treated by state employees, the incident highlights the lack of good behaviour in this regard. The state should form a special cell at the chief secretary level that should be answerable to the chief minister and the deputy chief minister. A mechanism should also be evolved for the purpose. The thrashing of the API was not as serious as it was projected and it was corroborated by the medical officers concerned.