Panel summons top babu for ‘obstructing’ Kheri murder probe

The panel had earlier summoned the district magistrate and superintendent of police in connection with the murder. On behalf of the UP government,Kumar wrote to the commission saying that it was beyond its jurisdiction to summon the Lakhimpur district officials because the girl was not an SC or OBC and was from the Muslim community.

Taking the letter as an obstruction of its working,the panel has asked Kumar to appear before the full commission in Delhi on July18.

“The social welfare principal secretary has no business to interfere in the working of the National Commission for SCs. The girl Sonam,whose body was found in Nighasan police station,belonged to the OBC community. It was at our initiative that her body was exhumed and a second post-mortem conducted,” said P L Punia,chairman of the commission. “Our state office in Lucknow had clearly mentioned in its letter to the UP government that the girl belonged to the OBC community,and on this basis the commission will conduct its inquiry.”

Punia explained,“The letter of the senior IAS officer,Balvinder Kumar,was an infringement to the working of the commission and all three officials,including the DM and SP of Lakhimpur,have been summoned to appear before the commission in person on July 18. The act of the principal secretary was against the Constitution and he will have to reply before the commission as to why he made such a representation on behalf of the DM and SP of Lakhimpur Kheri.”

Punia,Congress MP from Barabanki,was appointed chairman of the commission in October last year. He said the commission has constitutional powers to ask for a report on any matter related to OBCs,the Anglo-Indian community and Scheduled Castes.

Kumar said,“The commission has summoned me for briefing on the incident in Lakhimpur.” He admitted having written to the commission on behalf of the UP government that the Lakhimpur incident did not come under the purview of the panel since the girl was from the Muslim community.