In yet another embarrassment to the state administration, which promises to restore rule of law in Bihar, jailed Janata Dal (United) MLA Sunil Pandey was reported to have visited his home while returning to Beur Central Jail after attending the Assembly session. The bahubali legislator was spotted inside his residence in Patna on Wednesday even as he was accompanied by police officials who were supposed to take him directly from the jail to the Assembly and back.When told, Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah expressed surprise over the incident and promised strict action. “This is violation of court order. The court had permitted him to attend the Assembly from jail and not visit his home. Now we will not let him move out of the jail”, he said. Amanullah also underlined that the matter would be brought before the court and the MLA might get another conviction for the violation. This is not the first time when the Patna police responsible for taking legislators from jail to the Assembly and back have made a mockery of the law. Recently, former MLA Rajen Tiwary was spotted inside a parlour outside the jail while returning from a court appearance. Five policemen were suspended in the Rajen Tiwary case. But this hardly seems to have bothered the police party accompanying Pandey. “He has come to change clothes. He often comes here”, said one of the policemen escorting the MLA even as the guards in the prison van waited for the MLA to come out. Senior Superintendent of Police (Patna) Kundan Krishnan has ordered suspension of the constables escorting the MLA. Pandey is in jail in an extortion case. A company engaged in rural electrification had lodged a case alleging that the ruling party MLA had threatened its staff with dire consequences if a hefty extortion amount was not paid. On an earlier occasion, Pandey was suspended from the primary membership of the JD(U) after he created a scene in a posh hotel of Patna and also spoke against the party leadership.
