UP probe into presence of jailed MLAs at Pranab lunch

Faced with severe criticism at the presence of two jailed legislators at the lunch hosted by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister for UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee earlier this week, the government has ordered a probe into the "circumstances" in which the duo was allowed to attend the reception.  

Acting under instructions of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Principal Secretary (Home) R.K. Srivastava ordered the probe late Friday and set a deadline of a week for it to be completed, informed sources said Saturday.

Jailed legislators Mukhtaar Ansaari and Vijay Misra Tuesday attended the grand reception hosted at the official residence of the chief minister at 5, Kalidas Marg in Lucknow. In doing so, they violated court orders, which allowed them only to attend the state assembly's budget session.

The duo was supposed to report back to their respective jails after the assembly session concluded, however, they drove in their private vehicles to the chief minister's residence in a high-security zone.

Presence of Ansaari and Mishra at the Mukherjee's reception came in for widespread criticism, however, officials remained tight-lipped about the whole incident.