Patna: Days after the brutal assault on the opposition legislators in Bihar Vidhan Sabha, SK Singhal, the Director-General of Police (DGP) of Bihar, clarified no undue power given to the police force through the police amendment bill passed in Bihar Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.
“The police amendment bill is meant for Bihar Military Police (BMP) which is now renamed as Bihar Special Armed Force (BSAF). It is similar to Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) responsible for providing security to strategic and tourist places like Maha Bodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya and Darbhanga airport,” Singhal said on Thursday.
Singhal, along with RS Bhatti, director-general of BMP, and Chaitanya Prasad, additional home secretary of Bihar came forward before media persons in Patna to explain the points of the policy amendment bill.
Prasad clarified that this bill allows BMP personnel to apprehend any persons involved in terrorist or disruptive activities inside the notified premises where they are given the responsibility for security.
“This bill allows BMP personnel to apprehend persons caught in criminal activities in places where they deployed. Soon after the arrest, there is a provision to hand over that person to nearby concerned police stations for investigation. There is no such rule in this bill to allow the police department to arrest a person on the basis of this bill,” Prasad said.
RS Bhatti, the DG of BMP said: “Under the rule 9 of police amendment act, the BMP personnel will have to hand over (apprehended individual) to the police in minimum time. If any police personnel is present at the time of arrest, BMP will hand over the accused to him immediately or escort them to the nearest police station. BMP will also submit an allegation report to concern police stations about under what circumstances, accused are nabbed so that appropriate IPC sections will be imposed on accused in FIR.”
Reacting to the assault on opposition legislators, DGP Singhal said that Vijay Sinha, the Speaker of Bihar assembly had called the police.
“With the permission of the Speaker, police personnel entered the Vidhan Sabha building and acted on his direction. Bihar police went there to assist the marshals,” Singhal said.
“Bihar Vidhan Sabha comes under the jurisdiction of the Speaker. Any kind of investigation will start only after his direction. If anyone thinks about the police’s high-handedness, the Speaker has to direct us for investigation and we are ready to do the same,” Singhal said.
IANS