A Special Court in Jodhpur on Monday directed the Rajasthan Police to register a case against former Union Minister Jaswant Singh and nine other Bharatiya Janata Party leaders under the stringent anti-narcotics Act for allegedly using opium during a function in Barmer district last week.
Rajasthan Ministers Ghans Shyam Tiwari, Narpat Singh Rajvi and Madan Dilawar, parliamentarians Raghuveer Singh Kaushal, Lalit Kishor Chaturvedi and Kailash Meghwal, two BJP legislators Jogeshwar Garg and Shankar Singh Rajpurohit besides chief whip of BJP legislature party Mahavir Prasad Jain were also named in the complaint.
The court asked police to submit its report before it after completing the investigation in this case.
The complaint was filed under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on November 2.
"Special Judge of NDPS Court, Jodhpur has admitted my complaint and sent it under section 156/3 of CrPC for investigation to the police station in Balotra area of Barmer district," Malam Singh Choudhary, counsel for complainant Omprakash Bishnoi, said.
It was contended on behalf of the complainant that on October 31, Jaswant Singh had organised a social function traditionally called 'riyan' at his ancestral house near Jasol during which opium was illegally served.
Since all the ten accused are legislators who make laws, the conduct of these BJP leaders was 'inglorious,' the counsel contended.
Despite the act disallowing consumption of opium publicly, these public representatives crossed all legal as well as ethical limits, the counsel added.
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