Chhattisgarh Home Minister cornered in House over MLA attack

Chhattisgarh Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra was today cornered in the Assembly by the members of both ruling and Opposition parties over the alleged attack on Independent MLA Vimal Chopra.
Paikra had a tough time answering queries over the assault for which Chopra has blamed henchmen of a liquor contractor in Mahasamund district. The Minister later assured a high-level probe into last weekend's incident.
Members of main Opposition Congress staged a walkout on the issue, while the Independent MLA was suspended when he trooped into the well of the House demanding that stringent provisions of the IPC be invoked against the accused.

Chopra, Rajendra Rai (Congress) and Santosh Bafna (BJP) raised the issue through a call attention notice.
Narrating the sequence of events on February 16, Chopra said he got information that workers of a liquor shop in Mahasamund, his constutuency, were transporting illicit liquor in an SUV. He chased the vehicle along with his two supporters in a car.
He said when they tried to intercept the SUV, its driver attempted to ram the vehicle into his car. Pawan Sahu, one of his supporters, was attacked with a steel rod.

In his reply, Paikra said based on the MLA's complaint, a case under IPC related to rioting, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt among others, was filed.

Two accused were arrested but they were later released on bail bond. Efforts were on to trace six other accused, the Minister added.
Not satisfied with his reply, Satyanarayan Sharma (Congress), Devji Bhai Patel and Shivratan Sharma (both BJP) and several other members expressed concern over the incident and said given its seriousness, attempt to murder charge (IPC Section 307) should be slapped against the accused.
Paikra, however, maintained the case was still under investigation and a decision on slapping stringent charges will be taken only after the probe is completed.
Congress MLAs staged a walkout accusing the BJP Government of protecting liquor contractors.

Meanwhile, in reply to a specific query from Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal, the Minister assured a high-level probe into the incident.
Not content with the answer, Chopra trooped into the well of the House and was suspended. However, his suspension was revoked later by the Speaker.