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Rabri Devi announces judicial probe into MLAs killings

The Bihar government has announced the constitution of a one-man judicial commission, headed by a sitting judge of the Patna high court, to probe the recent killings of two legislators, Brij Bihari Prasad and Ajit Sarkar, in the state.

Chief Minister Rabri Devi said the chief justice of the Patna high court, Justice B M Lal, has been asked to nominate a judge for heading the commission.

Rabri Devi said the commission would present a detailed report on the background and related circumstances leading to the killings of the two legislators.

The decision to constitute the commission was taken after repeated demands by the CPI-M and other political parties for a probe into the killings by a sitting judge of the high court, she added.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership has asked the Communist Party of India-Marxist to clarify its stand on the Bihar issue, and why the party has called an all-Bihar bandh on Wednesday.

Party spokesman K L Sharma told newsmen in New Delhi that it is a peculiar situation where the CPI-M's state unit has asked for the dismissal of the Rabri Devi government for its total failure to protect the life and property of the people in the state and also for the total collapse of the law and order machinery. But the central unit has not endorsed this demand, he pointed out.

Sharma said all political parties, including the Congress and the Left parties, have admitted that there is total anarchy in the state and that the law and machinery has totally failed to protect its people.

He said all political parties are unanimous that the situation in Bihar is a matter of great concern.

He said as far as the BJP is concerned, Bihar is a fit case for imposition of President's rule, but any final decision in this regard will be taken by the central government, he added.

UNI

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