Speaker sets up 11-member committee to probe Katara issue

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Wednesday set up an eleven-member parliamentary committee to probe suspended BJP MP Babubhai Katara's involvement in a human trafficking case, misuse of privileges to MPs and set guidelines for their conduct.

The committee headed by Mr V Kishore Chandra S Deo, comprises Mr Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Mr Anant Gangaram Geete (Shiv Sena), Mr C Kuppusami (Congress), Mr Vijay Kumar Malhotra (BJP), Mr Shriniwas Patil (NCP), Mr Mohammad Salim (CPM), Mr Braja Kishore Tripathy (BJD), Mr Rajesh Verma (BSP), Mr Devendra Prasad Yadav (RJD) and Prof Ram Gopal Yadav (SP).

The committee will inquire into cases of misconduct of members of Lok Sabha, including misuse of parliamentary privileges and facilities by them and submit its report within the month.

An all-party-meeting convened by the Speaker on Tuesday had authorised Mr Chatterjee to consitute a house panel to look into such cases of misconduct and misuse of facilities by Lok Sabha members.