Police summons MLA accused of misbehaving with couple in train

Patna, Jan 22: The police on Friday served notice to JD(U) MLA Sarfaraz Alam, who was booked for allegedly abusing a couple inside Rajdhani Express, to appear before it by tomorrow evening for questioning.

"We have served a notice to the MLA to appear in GRP Patna by 5 PM tomorrow for questioning in the matter," Railway Superintendent of Police P N Mishra told PTI.

"A summon notice has been sent to the MLA on WhatsApp and also through Jokihaat police station in his native place," the SP said. He said a probe team, which had gone to Mughalsarai and New Delhi for recording statements of the complainant and the train superintendent of Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, has returned.

According to the complaint, the incident occurred on January 17 when Alam, third time JD(U) MLA and son of RJD MP Mohammad Taslimuddin, misbehaved with the couple on board the train.

An FIR was registered against him with GRP Patna the next day. The MLA was alleged to have been travelling without ticket and was drunk.

Train Superintendent Saheb Singh, in his statement, said Alam was travelling in the Rajdhani Express on that day without ticket, the SP said. Alam, however, told PTI he has not got any notice so far in this regard.

Stating that he is a law abiding citizen and respects judiciary, the JD(U) MLA said there was a "high level conspiracy" behind the allegation. Without clarifying who was conspiring against him and why, he said he would unravel the conspiracy once this complaint episode was over.

Meanwhile, ruling JD(U) and RJD have distanced themselves from the MLA. State JD(U) president Basistha Narayan Singh said the party was also looking into the issue and would initiate action if the complaint against him was found true.

RJD president Lalu Prasad said, "If the Jokihaat MLA is found guilty in the probe, the JD(U) should take action against him."

The MLA's father Mohammad Taslimuddin is a RJD Lok Sabha member from Araria. Prasad's elder son and Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav was, however, more critical. "Such a person should be put behind the bars," he told reporters.

PTI