Cop gives the slip to Rajasthan House again

State police fail to arrest and produce her before Assembly

Rajasthan Police on Thursday failed to produce the woman police inspector Ratna Gupta against whom the privileges committee of the state assembly had issued an arrest warrant for ignoring several summons sent to her for questioning.

The privileges committee had asked police to produce her before it at 11 am on Thursday for breach of privileges. However, the police team which went to arrest her returned empty handed as she was not found in her house.

The privileges committee under the chairmanship of Surendra Singh Jadawat then decided to report the matter to the House so that it could take a decision on the future course of action against Gupta.

The committee had issued an arrest warrant against the director general of police on Wednesday after she continuously ignored the summons issued to her for appearing before it to explain her conduct.

 Earlier, notices have been issued to the police inspector at least three times to appear before the committee, but she did not comply with them. Therefore, the committee had to issue orders of her arrest.

 This matter had virtually dragged the judiciary and legislature on a collision course as during the recently concluded Assembly session an all-party meeting unanimously decided to ignore high court notice issued to the privilege committee’s chairperson.

The woman cop had approached the court seeking relief against the privilege committee’s notices sent to her.

 Ratna Gupta, the then in-charge of Mahila police station Gandhi Nagar, has been accused of non-cooperation and misbehaving with the women and child welfare committee of the state assembly.

 The committee members had also alleged that Gupta did not provide records to them for inspection. 

They complained to superintendent of police and also brought the issue to the notice of Speaker of the Assembly Deependra Singh Shekhawat following which he referred the matter to the privileges committee of the Assembly.

 The privileges committee then issued notices to Gupta directing her to appear for questioning but she did not turn up and instead filed a petition in the court.