Failure to arrest BJP MlA from Rudrapur, Rajkumar Thukral, who had reportedly arrived in the Assembly premises and signed the attendance register for the MlAs and escaped from the scene on the second day of the special Assembly session on Monday, has raised question mark over police efficiency.
Though the authorities regularly close main roads to traffic to facilitate ‘security’ during the Vidhan Sabha session, they evidently failed to nab an MlA who has been declared absconder since the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him.
The Udham Singh Nagar Police had informed Dehradun police about Thukral’s expected visit to the Vidhan Sabha, but Dehradun SSP ignored this. The non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against Thukral some months ago and since then he has been absconding. He is accused of inciting communal violence in Rudrapur in 2011 and police had recently attached his property.
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said that Thukral visiting the Assembly was a shameful act which insulted the law and was not something to be proud of.
Critics opined that police beefs up security during the Vidhan Sabha session apart from diverting traffic on various routes. Failure to arrest BJP MlA Thukral indicates that police are under pressure when they have to act against political executives. It means, all the traffic plans and putting barricading at various roads are for the convenience of public representatives and public servants while the public suffers. Police might have information about Thukral’s arrival in the Vidhan Sabha but did not act due to political pressure, aver sources.
Uttarakhand Director General of Police BS Sidhu acknowledged that if MlA Thukral had visited the Vidhan Sabha, the police might have erred on duty. Though a team headed by the SP rural has been formed and directed to submit report to the DGP after reviewing CCTV footage from the Assembly, MlA’s signature on register and security preparedness.
Udham Singh Nagar superintendent of police Jaswant Singh Chauhan said that the district SSP had informed the Dehradun police about MlA’s expected visit to Vidhan Sabha. Teams have been formed and deployed to catch hold of the BJP MlA. Thukral was declared absconding by the Udham Singh Nagar police after a court issued a non-bailable warrant against him for his alleged role in the 2011 communal riots.
If MlA remains absent in three Assembly sessions in succession, he or she is liable to lose membership of the Assembly. Sources said that BJP MlA Thukral had reportedly missed out on the last two sessions. The police suspected he would visit the House on Monday or Tuesday to save himself from disqualification.