JMM MP and Naxalite leader Kameshwar Baitha, who is attending the Winter Session of Parliament and spending nights in Tihar jail, has sought the status of a “political’’ prisoner. Baitha is facing altogether 46 criminal cases ranging from murder and extortion to carrying out subversive activities in Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
He had won the Lok Sabha election from Palamu constituency as a JMM candidate in May 2009 while remaining in Sasaram (Bihar) district jail.
Baitha, accompanied by CPI(M) Lok Sabha MP Gurudas Dasgupta, met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar in Parliament on Friday with a request to ask the Tihar jail authorities to provide him the facilities of a ‘’political’’ prisoner which includes special facilities of travel and lodging.
The Lok Sabha secretariat has asked the Union home ministry to look into the matter.
Home ministry sources said that Baitha’s request will be examined and any decision will be taken as per the rulebook.
When contacted CPI(M) MP Gurudas Dasgupta said, “Presently, Mr Baitha is being treated like any other criminal in jail. He should be accorded the status of a political prisoner since he is an MP. These are decade-old norms which should be followed. I support Mr Baitha’s request and accompanied him to the LS Speaker,” Mr Dasgupta said. Incidentally, the CPI(M) leader was the lone MP who went along with Baitha to support his cause.