22 MLAs suspended in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, July 10 (UNI) Twenty-two opposition Congress members were suspended from the Chhattisgarh Assembly today after they trooped into the well of the house and shouted slogans following Home Minister Ramvichar Netam's rejection of a demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the issue of a corpse being found at the residence of a MP's representative in Kanker district.

A rule entails automatic suspension of members who troop into the well of this state's Vidhan Sabha. Deputy Speaker Badrinath Diwan ordered the suspension.

Raising the matter through a call attention notice, Leader of the Opposition Mahendra Karma, Ravindra Choubey and Dhanendra Sahu (all Cong) said that one Jaipal Nishad was murdered allegedly over money being taken from many people regarding appointment of shiksha karmis (education workers). The Opposition alleged that the police were succumbing to political pressure by labelling the death as suicide.

Disagreeing with the Opposition, Mr Netam said, ''a murder case was registered at Narharpur Police Station after the June 20 incident and the case handed over to the Crime Investigation Department.'' Those suspended were members Karma, Choubey, Sahu, Bodhram Kanwar, Bhupesh Baghel, Yogeshwar Raj Singh, Mahant Ram Sundar Das, Ramchandra Singhdeo, Shakrajit Nayak, Tamradhwaj Sahu, Uday Mudaliar, Haridas Bhardwaj, Ganesh Shankar Bajpai, Ramdayal Uike, Motilal Devangan, Siyaram Kaushik, Chaitram Sahu, Kawasi Lakma, Renu Jogi, Rajkamal Singhania, Mohammad Akbar and Churawan Mangeshkar.

UNI XC-AC 1754