West Bengal Director General of Police Bhupinder Singh was on Friday summoned to the state assembly and ordered to pay Rs 1000 as 'punishment' by Speaker H A Halim for taking a photo in the House with his mobile.
The Speaker asked the DGP, who was produced by the marshal in a temporary dock set up in the well of the assembly, whether he had taken a photo in the House with his mobile phone camera on Thursday.
The DGP, who was in civil dress, replied that the flash on his mobile phone camera went off by mistake, but no photo was taken. The Speaker then said, "You say yes or no. I don't need any explanation."
The DGP replied he had not taken a photo. Since the DGP was speaking softly and there was no microphone in the well, his answers were conveyed by the marshal using the microphone of CLP leader Manas Bhunia.
Halim said, "When I called you to my chamber yesterday, you said you received an SMS from Darjeeling and when you tried to see it, by mistake you took a photo. It was not intentional. But today you are saying that you did not take a photo, but the flash on your mobile went off. Why the contradiction?"
The DGP replied that he did not know if a photo was taken and the mobile phone had to be examined. The Speaker then asked, "Don't you think you have committed a grave mistake?"
The DGP replied, "Yes, sir." "Do you regret it?" the Speaker asked. The DGP replied, "I regret it and apologise unconditionally."
Halim then ruled, "Since the DGP has admitted his mistake and apologised unconditionally, his mobile set stands forfeited by the House. To get back the mobile set the delinquent must pay Rs 1000 to the Chief Minister's relief Fund."
The Speaker later clarified to reporters in his chamber that the DGP had not been reprimanded or fined.
"The word fine was not in my ruling. Also it cannot be said that the DGP was reprimanded. Since he realised his mistake and apologised, it is not a punishment," Halim said.
Halim said the DGP would be allowed to take back his mobile phone on production of the receipt of the submission of the amount to the secretary of the assembly.
The Speaker told the DGP, "This will not affect your service career, promotion, pension, whatsoever."
The DGP, who will be retiring on August 31, then left the House with his head bowed and was escorted out by the marshal.
Halim then said that no one will be allowed inside the House with a mobile phone and adjourned the assembly till 1.30 pm. On Thursday, the Speaker ordered seizure of the DGP's mobile phone on a complaint made by the Congress Legislative Party leader Manas Bhunia.
Halim had asked government chief whip Syed Mohammad Masiha to ask Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sailen Sarkar, who was not present in the House, to seize the mobile phone of the DGP, examine it for anything objectionable and submit a report today.
