Guwahati, Mar 2 (UNI) The Asom government today ordered an inquiry into the incident of two undertrial ISI agents being allowed to use public telephone facilities and suspended a sub-inspector of the state police in this connection.
The issue was raised in the state Assembly by Leader of the Opposition Brindabon Goswami after Question Hour. The matter came to light after a news channel showed video footage of two undertrial ISI agents using a PCO to make personal calls yesterday near the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court.
The channel also carried an interview of the booth owner, who said the concerned criminals regularly made calls to Bangladesh and had done so yesterday also.
Mr Goswami, drawing the attention of the House to the issue, questioned the government as to how criminals in custody could use a public telephone booth.
He also pointed out that another undertrial ISI agent had escaped from the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital a few months back, adding that such lapses showed inadequacies in the police system.
State Cabinet Minister Rockybul Hussain, later making a statement in the House, informed that the sub-inspector on duty yesterday had been placed under suspension.
Two inquiries, one by the Kamrup Additional District Magistrate, and the other by Additional Director General of Police, had been ordered to probe how the undertrials used the public telephone.
Mr Hussain further informed that the two ISI agents in question, held with another two in 2001, were given permission to call their homes through an ad-hoc Sessions judge's order on February 21, 2006.
'' However, the order did not specify the place from where they could make the calls and the personnel misinterpreted the order,'' he said.
''There would be no leniency and exemplary punishment would be meted out,'' he added.
UNI
The issue was raised in the state Assembly by Leader of the Opposition Brindabon Goswami after Question Hour. The matter came to light after a news channel showed video footage of two undertrial ISI agents using a PCO to make personal calls yesterday near the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court.
The channel also carried an interview of the booth owner, who said the concerned criminals regularly made calls to Bangladesh and had done so yesterday also.
Mr Goswami, drawing the attention of the House to the issue, questioned the government as to how criminals in custody could use a public telephone booth.
He also pointed out that another undertrial ISI agent had escaped from the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital a few months back, adding that such lapses showed inadequacies in the police system.
State Cabinet Minister Rockybul Hussain, later making a statement in the House, informed that the sub-inspector on duty yesterday had been placed under suspension.
Two inquiries, one by the Kamrup Additional District Magistrate, and the other by Additional Director General of Police, had been ordered to probe how the undertrials used the public telephone.
Mr Hussain further informed that the two ISI agents in question, held with another two in 2001, were given permission to call their homes through an ad-hoc Sessions judge's order on February 21, 2006.
'' However, the order did not specify the place from where they could make the calls and the personnel misinterpreted the order,'' he said.
''There would be no leniency and exemplary punishment would be meted out,'' he added.
UNI
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