Cop thrashed by MLAs deposes before Maharashtra assembly panel

A police officer, who was assaulted by some Members of Legislative Assembly in the Maharashtra legislature complex, on Monday deposed before a House committee constituted to probe the incident.

Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Suryavanshi appeared before the seven-member panel, headed by senior-most member of the state assembly Ganpatrao Deshmukh of the Peasants and Workers Party.

Suryavanshi's deposition lasted for nearly 90 minutes, assembly officials said.

Kshitij Thakur of Bahujan Vikas Agadhi and Ram Kadam of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, who were arrested in connection with the assault on the officer, and security staff of the House will also appear before the committee, the officials said.

Suryavanshi, who was escorted to the House by personnel from the police department, did not respond to media queries while leaving the premises.

To seek peace with legislators who had disrupted the proceedings of the two Houses of legislature, Home Minister R R Patil on March 25 had suspended Suryavanshi for "misbehaving" with Thakur and ordered the constitution of a panel to probe the entire episode.

Suryavanshi, attached to the Worli police station, was thrashed by a group of MLAs outside the visitors' gallery at the state's legislature complex on March 19, a day after he had stopped Thakur's vehicle on Bandra-Worli Sea Link for speeding and slapped a fine on him.

The House had later suspended five MLAs -- Ram Kadam, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaykumar Rawal, Kshitij Thakur, Shiv Sena leader Rajan Salvi and Independent leader Pradeep Jaiswal  -- for their alleged involvement in the assault.