‘Gun salute’ to Jharkahd minister lands four in trouble
By IANSFriday, October 15, 2010
RANCHI - Cases have been filed against four supporters of Jharkhand Excise Minister Gopal Krishna Patar, who waved rifles and fired shots in the air to “welcome” him at his hometown Jamshedpur, police said Friday.
“An FIR has been lodged against four supporters who were seen waving rifles and firing in the air to welcome the minister Wednesday,” Jamshedpur’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akhilesh Kumar Jha told IANS over telephone.
“We have seized three arms and have written to the district administration to cancel their licenses,” he added.
Patar alias Raja Peter, a Janata Dal-United legislator, was inducted into the Arjun Munda cabinet Oct 8. He had shot into the limelight January 2009 after he defeated the then Chief Minister Shibu Soren in Tamar assembly bypoll, forcing Soren to step down since he failed to get elected to the state assembly within six months of assuming the office, as per constitutional norms.
The minister’s welcome seemed to have not gone well with Munda and according to informed sources, the first information report (FIR) against Patar’s supporters was lodged on his instructions Thursday.
