BJP dumps DGP plea on Bhatkal

PATNA: Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today refused to buy the defence of the state police chief on not taking IM operatives in custody for interrogation to unravel their "Bihar connection" and questioned silence of the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Bhatkal arrest.

"Why Nitish Kumar is silent on Yasin Bhatkal arrest? Abhyanand (Bihar DGP) has been put forward to tell lies about the arrest and concealing the facts," Modi said on twitter.

"Why Bihar police was in haste to get rid of Yasin? IB chief persuaded Bihar to take Yasin in custody, but Bihar police handed him over to NIA," the former deputy chief minister said.

On report appearing in newspapers that Motihari Superintendent of Police Vinay Kumar had interrogated Bhatkal and his associate, Modi said "Is East Champaran SP competent to interrogate Yasin? What does he know about Darbhanga module? Without remand, interrogation has no legal sanction."

The BJP leader reaction came after defence of the state government was done by Director General of Police Abhyanand at a press conference earlier during the day.

Modi charged the Nitish Kumar government with seeking to wash its hands off the arrest of Bhatkal and his associate Asadulla Akhtar alias Haddi for "political reasons" (to safeguard its minority votes).