Tata Steel MD summoned to court on Feb 8

A local court has issued summons against B Muthuraman, managing director, Tata Steel, and four other officials of Tata Steel on charges of trespassing and demolishing the house of a person at Sidgora here on March 31, 2007.

The court of the First Class Judicial Magistrate Uttam Anand issued the summons yesterday against Muthuraman, three security officials and the company's land and estate department head Ajay Sahay following a complaint lodged by Priya Ranjan Singh.

The court has taken cognisance under section 452 (House trespassing), 453 (House Breaking), 384 (Non-Bailable), 323, 341, 504, 506, 120B and 109 IPC, and directed all the accused to appear before the court on February 8.

A Tata Steel spokesperson, when contacted, refused to comment on the issue.

Singh, a sub contractor, had filed the complaint in the court of CJM P K Moitra on April 2, 2007 accusing Muthuraman, three security personnel and Sahay of illegally entering his house on March 31 along with 10-15 unknown persons and razing it down. The case was later transferred to the court of Uday Anand.

After examining the four witnesses as well as the police report submitted in this regard, the court has taken cognisance against Muthuraman, Sahay and three security personnel - Laxmikant Konark, Sunil Singh and Ajay Kumar Nag - and a dozen others.

Tata Steel had earlier filed a Bihar Public Land Eviction (BPLE) case in the court of the sub-divisional magistrate against Singh for constructing a house on the company's land in Sidgora.