UP assembly sends 6 policemen to one-day custody in 2004 case

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Friday awarded imprisonment for a day to six policemen in connection with a breach of privilege notice given by then BJP MLA Salil Vishnoi in an almost two-decade old case.

The breach of privilege notice dates back to 2004. Vishnoi was leading a delegation to submit a memorandum against power cuts in Kanpur to the district magistrate (Kanpur Nagar) on September 15, 2004 when the police personnel misbehaved with him.

The assembly was converted into a court on Friday and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna moved the resolution for a day's imprisonment (till 12 midnight) to the six policemen.

Speaker Satish Mahana announced the verdict. The policemen will be confined to a room in the Vidhan Sabha building till midnight and all arrangements will be made like food and other facilities for them, Mahana said.

These policemen include then circle officer of Babupurva in Kanpur Nagar, Abdul Samad (now retired); then SHO Kidwai Nagar, Srikant Shukla; then sub-inspector Triloki Singh; and then constables Chote Singh, Vinod Mishra and Meharban Singh.

The cops had expressed regret over the incident.

The summons was issued on the recommendation of the House privilege committee which had met on Monday. The committee had recommended imprisonment as punishment for these officers and staff members, and the House decided the quantum of imprisonment term on Friday.