Express News Service
BHOPAL: Two months after he was booked for allegedly molesting a co-passenger on a train, Congress MLA Sunil Saraf faces fresh trouble over a celebratory firing at a New Year’s party.
Saraf, the first-time Congress legislator from Kotma seat in Madhya Pradesh, was booked on Monday by the local police under IPC Section 336 and Sections 25 and 9 of the Arms Act for allegedly firing his revolver at a New Year’s party organised by him on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
A video went viral on Monday wherein Saraf could be seen dancing and brandishing a revolver from his trousers. He then proceeded to fire the weapon in the air as the popular Bollywood song ‘Main Hoon Don’ played behind.
2 months after being booked for molesting a married woman on board a Bhopal bound train, first time MP Cong MLA Sunil Saraf booked for celebratory firing from his gun on the stage of New Year bash organized by him in Kotma (Anuppur). @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard @santwana99 pic.twitter.com/5w9VyvUHz2
— Anuraag Singh (@anuraag_niebpl) January 2, 2023
Ruling BJP leaders in the state, including state party chief VD Sharma, media coordinator Lokendra Parashar and Narendra Saluja were quick to raise the issue in the wake of the viral video and demand action against the Congress MLA.
Madhya Pradesh’s Home Minister Narottam Mishra took cognisance of the matter and ordered an inquiry into the matter. “I’ve seen the video of the MLA brandishing the gun and firing from it. Such acts endanger public safety. I’ve instructed the Anuppur district police superintendent to take action in the matter,” Mishra told the media.
Following the Home Minister’s order, a case was registered at the Kotma police station.
“The case has been lodged against the MLA based on a complaint by one Bhuvneshwar Shukla. The complainant has alleged that since there was a large number of people at the New Year’s bash organized by the local MLA and the firing could have resulted in some untoward happening,” Kotma police station in-charge Naresh Baiga said on Monday.
The MLA from Kotma claimed the gun seen in the video wasn’t his licensed revolver but was instead a toy pistol used during Diwali.
Senior Congress leader and former minister PC Sharma, while defending Saraf, said, “It’s not such a big crime. Instead of zeroing in on such incidents, the government and police should work on bettering the overall law and order scenario, including controlling the rising incidents of crime against women in MP.”
In October 2022, two first-time Congress MLAs, including Saraf and Satna MLA Siddharth Kushwaha were booked by the police for allegedly molesting a married woman while travelling on a train from Rewa to Bhopal. The woman, who was travelling in the first AC compartment of Rewanchal Express, had accused the Congress MLAs of misbehaving with her while being inebriated.
