Naveen Patnaik: Indecisive

Bhubaneswar, March 30: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik seems to be keeping everybody guessing on the action likely to be taken on the sexual harassment case against Assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty.

Insiders in ruling BJD say that the chief minister, who had been away at New Delhi for last two days, has not made up his mind yet. He is weighing the pros and cons and would arrive at a decision after the end of the ongoing budget session, which is likely to be concluded tomorrow.

On return from New Delhi this afternoon, Naveen gave a cryptic reply: “Whatever lawful will be done. My government always stands by what is proper and legal.”

Naveen, however, parried the question as to whether he would advise the Speaker to step down. “I have said about the situation as it stands today,” he said.

Sources say that pressure has been mounting on the chief minister and BJD leadership after a case was registered against the Speaker yesterday, two days after an FIR was lodged by assistant lady marshal Gayatri Panda.

The criminal case was registered against Mohanty under Sections 506 (threatening), 507 (anonymous communication), 509 (obscene and objectionable gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. Legal experts said Section 506 is non-bailable. “The complainant is still not traceable. She has to be interrogated first but that cannot be till she comes to the fore. Only after interrogating her, we might arrive an some angle for more investigation,” said assistant commissioner of police Sarat Sahoo.

The police top brass is in a quandary as to whether the Speaker can be interrogated and arrested, who enjoys certain immunity. Deputy commissioner of police Amitav Thakur, supervising the investigation, said the Speaker could be interrogated with permission from Governor. But the statement of the complainant has to be recorded first, he said.

However, the Opposition still demanded that Mohanty should step down to facilitate a free and fair inquiry and uphold the high office of Speaker. “His interrogation or arrest while holding the post will denigrate the image of the high office,” said J.B. Patnaik.