Personal staff too disappear with Soren

Amitabh Shukla

New Delhi, July 24

Even as a Union Minister Shibu Soren has been missing for several days now, evading an arrest warrant issued by a Jharkhand court, the police have failed to notice the disappearance of his security and personal staff along with the minister.

According to sources, four staff of the Union Coal Minister and a PSO provided by the Delhi Police went missing along with the minister as soon as the arrest warrant was issued. Neither the Jharkhand police, which was in the Capital to arrest Soren nor the Delhi Police have checked the whereabouts of these personnel.

SP (Special Branch) Jharkhand Police, Neeraj Sinha told HT from Ranchi that they had no knowledge of the personnel with Soren. Sinha was in the Capital to execute the arrest warrant. He said if investigations proved that anyone was harbouring Soren then action could be taken against them according to law.

A senior Delhi Police official also said that if any personnel of the force or the PSO of Soren had helped him evade arrest, action could be taken. Asked whether it was a security lapse on the part of the Delhi Police as a Union Minister went missing right under their nose, he replied in the negative. "The PSO of Soren took a leave of three days. I am not sure whether he has reported back for duty," the police official said.

Senior Advocate R.K. Anand, who had successfully represented Soren in the JMM bribery case, said the sections pertaining to abatement of crime could be imposed on the PSO and others if they are found to have helped him during this period. Speaking on Soren, Anand said that he should have applied for bail and cancellation of warrant in the Delhi High Court instead of the Jharkhand High Court. (2004)