Covid incentive row: Health dept files case against MLA Saryu Roy - Hindustan Times
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Covid incentive row: Health dept files case against MLA Saryu Roy

By, Ranchi
May 03, 2022 09:18 PM IST

Jharkhand’s health department has filed an FIR against Independent legislator Saryu Roy under sections of the IPC and Official Secrets Act, 1923, for allegedly leaking secret documents, police said on Tuesday.

Jharkhand’s health department has filed an FIR (first information report) against Independent legislator Saryu Roy under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Official Secrets Act, 1923, for allegedly leaking secret documents, police said on Tuesday.

MLASaryu Roy (HT Photo)
MLASaryu Roy (HT Photo)

A month ago, Roy had accused state health minister Banna Gupta of misusing his office and disbursing Covid-19 incentives equivalent to one month’s basic salary to 60 employees in his department, including himself, his personal assistant and other staff illegally and unethically. Roy had produced documents to back the allegations, which were denied by the health minister.

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Ramesh Kumar, in-charge of Doranda police station, confirmed that an FIR was filed on Monday against Roy, MLA from Jamshedpur (East), by under secretary of state health department, Vijay Verma.

“In the FIR, it has been alleged that Roy accessed the documents in an unauthorised way and used it to malign the department by making baseless allegations in public. Getting access to such documents without going through the official channel is violation of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and IPC. Hence a probe will be conducted against all the culprits behind the crime,” an official said, requesting anonymity.

Gupta, who has also vowed to file a defamation case against Saryu Roy in connection with the allegations, said he can’t comment on the issue as it has been done at the department level. “Not everything goes through me just because I am the minister,” the minister told reporters.

When contacted, additional chief secretary (health) Arun Kumar Singh said the case is not necessarily against Saryu Roy. “The case has been filed to identify who actually leaked the documents. The criminal liability may not lie on legislator,” he said.

Roy, meanwhile, termed the FIR a “reflection of a dirty mind”.

“I am considering this FIR as an invitation to come out with more facts. I am not going to cow down. They can file FIR or arrest me. Technically, how come procuring a document which could be accessed through RTI by paying 10 be considered a breach of the Official Secrets Act. Only those documents which are named classified fall under it. The decision to file the FIR is foolish,” said Roy.

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