IG inquiring Minister's involvement in a case - Naveen

Bhubaneswar, Feb 21 (UNI) Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police was inquiring the alleged involvement of a Cabinet Minister in a case in Patnagarha police station.

Replying to an adjournment motion, moved by the Opposition, the Chief Minister said some of the Opposition members had pointed fingers against two Cabinet Ministers for their alleged involvement in some criminal cases.

While in one case an officer of the IG rank was inquiring the case in the other case, police had arrested the accused without any fear or favour. He made it clear that action would be taken against the guilty in accordance with the law.

Mr Patnaik said the government had never tried to give shelter to any criminal.

Urban Development Minister K V Singhdeo against whom the allegation was made by Congress Deputy Leader Narashingh Mishra in a separate statement denied the allegation that he had forcibly taken away an accused from the Patnagarha police lock up on February nine last.

Mr Singdeo said the issue was politically motivated to tarnish his political image.

Giving details, the Minister said he told the Circle Inspector and Officer-in-Charge of police station to forward one Basant Meher they had arrested on February eight from his village Sialbandh to court and give a copy of the FIR to his family members after around 40 villagers complained to him that neither were police forwarding him to court nor giving them a copy of the FIR even 24 hours after Meher was kept in custody.

Mr Singhdeo said the Opposition members were wasting time of the House by making such baseless allegation with the sole motive and intention to damage the political image of ''my family''.

In another statement, Higher Education Minister Samir Dey also described the allegation of Mr Narasingha Mishra and Jaydev Jena (both Congress) on his relation with a gangster as unfortunate, untrue, baseless and politically motivated.

While Mr Mishra made an indirect reference to him, Mr Jena in his statement clearly spoke about his relation with the gangster.

Mr Dey said one Sikandar, arrested by Bolangir police, was an ordinary party member and removed from the party on his request to the party president.

The Minister said he made the request after he came to know about his arrest.

Bolangir Police were looking into the matter and action would be taken as per law, the Minister said adding he had no role to play in it.

The Opposition members should have inquired the fact before making such baseless statement in the House, Mr Dey remarked.

UNI BD-DP SJC DB1952