Patna SP’s forced quarantine in Mumbai not right: Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday expressed his displeasure over the “forced quarantining” of Bihar IPS officer Vinay Tiwari in Mumbai, but refused to take up the issue with his Maharshtra counterpart as it was not a “political issue”.
The Patna (central) SP had reached Mumbai on Sunday to lead the Bihar Police’s investigation in the Sushant case where the civic authorities allegedly forcefully quarantined him late in the evening.State DGP Gupteshwar Pandey held a meeting at the police headquarters on Monday over the situation arising out of Tiwari’s quarantine till August 15 and directed the state police to lodge a protest with the Mumbai civic authorities.
Nitish while reacting to the incident said, “Whatever happened (with the SP) is not right. On behalf of our government, DGP Pandey has full information about the incident and he will speak to his counterpart in Maharashtra.” The CM was interacting with mediapersons at a state government event at Rajdhani Vatika in Patna.
Asked if he would take up the issue with Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Nitish said, “No, it is not a political matter. It is the legal responsibility of Patna police to investigate the case. Bihar Police is carrying out its legal responsibility.”
Nitish avoided commenting on whether there would be a CBI inquiry into the Bollywood actor’s suicide case.
Incensed by the treatment meted out to the Patna SP by Mumbai civic officials citing Covid-19 protocols, DGP Pandey on Monday ordered IG (central range) Sanjay Singh to write a letter to the BMC commissioner to lodge protest against the action against the Bihar IPS officer.
“The BMC commissioner would be asked to give exemption in order to free the IPS officer from home quarantine condition as he is on duty. Tiwari had gone there to conduct an investigation. His work falls under essential services category which includes police,” Pandey told TOI.
He said the state police have studied the Maharashtra government’s rules on Covid-19 home quarantine applicable to flyers reaching the state. “There’s a clause in their rules under which the administration concerned has power to give exemption to those involved in essential works and reaching Maharashtra,” he said.
The DGP had tweeted within minutes of Tiwari getting the quarantine stamp on his hand with a photo of the IPS officer's stamped hand. “Tiwari was forcibly quarantined by authorities around 11 pm hours after reaching the Maharashtra capital. The IPS officer is now unable to move around in Mumbai,” the tweet read.
The DGP also alleged that the IPS officer was not provided accommodation in the IPS mess despite request and was staying in a guest house in Goregaon.
However, the Mumbai Police on Monday clarified that accommodation was arranged at the senior officers’ mess in Goregaon and a vehicle was provided, adding, “all courtesies befitting to an IPS officer were duly extended to Shri Vinay Tiwari”.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporal, too, issued a statement on Monday to clear the air on the quarantining of the Bihar IPS officer. The statement clarified that Tiwary was “guided for home quarantine” as per Maharashtra government’s guidelines for flyers and that he has been “to apply to the competent authority of MCGM for exemption in the home quarantine period”.