While raising the issue of alleged torture of a van driver by police in Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh Government was on Friday put in the dock in the Assembly by ruling Bharatiya Janata Party members.
Raising the matter through a calling attention notice, Kedarnath Shukla alleged that some police men stopped van driver Narayan Pandey and extorted money and beat him brutally on July 15.
"He was taken to the traffic police station where he was again beaten by the traffic in-charge. His brother, who reached the police station, was also thrashed. A complaint by his family members was also not lodged by police. On the contrary, a case was registered against the driver himself," he said.
In his reply, Home Minister Babulal Gaur said the driver was stopped by police as his vehicle was overloaded and conveying 14-15 passengers. He claimed that the driver did not stop and sped but dashed into an auto-rickshaw.
Gaur said the driver tried to escape but was arrested by police. He got beaten in this sequence. Four police officials were suspended in this connection. The Superintendent of Police was inquiring into the matter. Shankarlal Tiwari and Girish Gautam alleged that police extort money from drivers in Sidhi and receive protection from the SP.
The members demanded that the traffic in-charge be suspended and the SP be removed. Gaur refused to accept their demand but accepted the members' request for getting the matter inquired by a senior police official from Bhopal.