Suspended JD-U MLA held for 'misbehaving' with couple on train

Patna, Jan 24  A day after Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) suspended its legislator for allegedly misbehaving with a couple on a running train, the Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested him on Sunday, police said.

"JD-U legislator Sarfaraj Alam was arrested at the GRP station here after he was questioned," a GRP official said.

Officials said the charges against Sarfaraj were found to be true.

The JD-U on Saturday suspended Sarfaraj, saying his conduct brought a "bad name to the party".

"Top party leadership, including JD-U president Sharad Yadav and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, met here and decided to suspend Sarfaraj for his behaviour and bad conduct. The incident has given a bad name to the party," state JD-U president Vashishtha Narain Singh told the media here.

Alam allegedly misbehaved with the couple aboard the Delhi-Guwahati Rajdhani Express.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad also favoured action against Alam. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is part of the ruling Grand Alliance in Bihar.

Inderpal Singh Bedi and his wife, in an FIR registered at Patna railway station, complained that Alam, his bodyguard and an aide misbehaved with them on the train, an official said, adding they passed vulgar comments about the couple who boarded the train from Delhi.

Patna Railways Superintendent of Police P.N. Mishra said a four-member team sent from Patna to register a formal complaint returned from Delhi after recording the statement of the couple and other witnesses.

Mishra said Alam was summoned to appear before the investigation official and present his stand on Saturday, following which the complaint against him was prima facie found to be correct.

Alam, son of former union minister Mohammad Taslimuddin, is the JD-U legislator from Jokihat in Araria district of Bihar.