Jailed ex-minister's plea to attend CA

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Constituent Assembly member and former minister Shyam Sundar Gupta, who is now in jail on charges of abducting and taking hostage of businessman Pawan Kumar Sanghai for ransom on December 22, today wrote a letter to Constituent Assembly Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang, asking the latter to make necessary arrangement for his ‘presence’ and ‘participation’ in regular CA meetings. The CA meeting is taking place from tomorrow onwards to discuss the constitutional issues.

Gupta, who is also chairman of Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) and was appointed as CA member through a Cabinet decision of the late G P Koirala-led government, sent his letter to the CA chairman from Dilli Bazaar Prison, attached with a covering letter of the jail authority, according to Parliament sources.

“I am in Dilli Bazaar Prison on false charges of kidnapping and taking hostage a person,” Gupta wrote in his letter, adding, “I am not suspended or disqualified; neither my CA seat has fallen vacated as per the Articles 65 and 67 of the Interim Constitution, nor has the court convicted me on any charge. I, therefore, request you to make necessary arrangement for my presence and participation in regular meetings of the CA from tomorrow.”

Parliament sources, however, said that his request would not be entertained as there is no legal provision to do so. The sources added that certain fundamental rights of a person when in judicial custody are curtailed. Parliament authorities, according to sources, have written to the Home Ministry asking the latter on what ground the Dilli Bazaar Prison authorities dispatched such a letter to the CA chairman.