LS reprimands RJD MP

NEW DELHI: RJD MP Rajesh Kumar Manjhi, who took a woman friend on an official tour personating her as his wife, was today reprimanded by the Lok Sabha and suspended for 30 sittings of the House.

The member, who was also restrained from taking his spouse or companion on official tours till the conclusion of the 14th Lok Sabha, was proceeded against following a motion moved by Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee with "a heavy heart".

The motion was adopted by a voice vote with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee observing that it was a yet another "very sorry incident".

The 14th Lok Sabha had witnessed expulsion of as many as ten members following the cash-for-query scam some two years back and was also rocked over another scandal concerning the MPLAD scheme.

Manjhi, representing Gaya SC constituency in Bihar, was last week found guilty of cheating and impersonation by the Committee to Inquire into Misconduct of Members of Lok Sabha, headed by V Kishore Chandra S Deo.

In the report, the Committee said Manjhi was guilty of undertaking air journeys from Delhi to Mumbai along with a woman personating her as his spouse on March 23, 2006 and February 21, 2007.

"These acts tantamount to cheating and impersonating which are penal offences as well as a conduct unbecoming of a member," the Committee said adding the member has "blatantly misused" the entitled facilities on a Committee tour.

It further held the MP guilty of having deliberately misled the Committee under oath during his evidence before it.

"The Committee is also of the view that Manjhi was even prevaricating and wilfully sought to suppress the truth".