Patna, Oct 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) The controversy surrounding the suspicious death of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari and an alleged staged encounter in Bilauti village of Bihar’s Bhojpur district has reached the Lok Sabha, with Buxar MP Sudhakar Singh seeking the intervention of Speaker Om Birla after receiving a defamation notice from senior IPS officer Kundan Krishnan.
In a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP has sought an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the legal notice and requested that the matter be referred to Parliament’s Committee of Privileges if a prima facie case of breach of parliamentary privilege is established.
According to Sudhakar Singh, Krishnan sent the legal notice through his personal counsel, demanding a public apology and warning of a defamation suit seeking Rs 5 crore in damages, along with possible criminal proceedings.
The MP has expressed concern that the notice could discourage elected representatives from raising issues of public importance in Parliament.
However, the alleged intention behind the notice has not been independently established.
The controversy stems from the suspicious death of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari in Bilauti village, where allegations of a staged encounter have also been raised.
In his letter, Sudhakar Singh claimed that police personnel allegedly involved in the incident had been suspended and that an FIR had been registered based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s mother.
He also referred to a judicial inquiry constituted by the state government, whose findings have not yet been made public.
The MP has argued that the investigation should not be confined to lower-ranking police personnel.
He pointed out that Kundan Krishnan was serving as Director General of the Bihar Special Task Force (STF) at the time of the incident and called for an impartial examination of the chain of command.
He has sought scrutiny of the orders allegedly issued, communications between officers, information conveyed to police headquarters and the role of senior officials.
The responsibility of individual officers, however, can only be established through a proper investigation.
Invoking Article 105 of the Constitution, which provides for freedom of speech in Parliament and certain privileges of its members, Sudhakar Singh has argued that elected representatives must be able to raise questions concerning administrative actions and possible misuse of official authority.
He has asked the Speaker to examine the capacity in which Krishnan issued the legal notice and whether he had obtained authorisation from the Bihar or the Central government.
The MP has also referred to Rule 17 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, seeking clarification on its applicability to the circumstances surrounding the notice.
Another issue raised in the letter concerns the role of the private law firm that issued the notice.
Sudhakar Singh has sought clarification on whether the firm was representing Krishnan in his personal capacity or had also been authorised to act on behalf of the Bihar government.
He has requested details of any official orders or authorisations issued in connection with the legal action.
Apart from seeking an examination of the legal notice, the Buxar MP has asked the Speaker to obtain information about the status of the judicial inquiry into Tiwari’s death and whether its findings are available.
He has urged the Speaker to initiate an inquiry into the entire episode and refer it to the Committee of Privileges if sufficient grounds are found.
He has also called for appropriate measures if evidence emerges that an elected representative was subjected to pressure or retaliation for performing parliamentary duties.
Source: IANS
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