Murder accused Ram Kumar takes oath as Himachal MLA

Shimla: Elected to the Himachal assembly on a Congress ticket for the first time, murder accused Ram Kumar was sworn in as a legislator, a little while ago.

Secretary of the Vidhan Sabha, Balbir Tegta said, “Ram Kumar was sworn in as a legislator of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha at 11.15 a.m. today.”

Speaker Brij Bihari Lal Butail administered the oath of a member of the legislative assembly to Ram Kumar, he said.

Ram Kumar has been disowned by Congress party that has suspended him from the party on January 16 after he was made an accused in the murder case of Jyoti, a 24 year old, found dead with her head smashed at Panchkula, near Chandigarh, on November, 22.

However, with the election commission handing Ram Kumar a certificate of being elected on a Congress symbol, the legislator sworn in is considered to be a Congress member in the house until the party intimates the speaker of him being expelled from the party.

“The member has been sworn in under court orders,” said Tegta, as Ram Kumar presently is in judicial custody at Ambala Jail.

After his name figured in the sensational murder of Jyoti, the accused MLA had evaded arrest and only surrendered before a Panchkula court on January 8, when the Haryana police announced a Rs 2 Lakh reward for information about him.

He is one of the four accused for having killed Jyoti.

Ram Kumar was elected from Doon, a assembly seat that his father Lajja Ram has represented for four times.

Ravinder Makhaik

As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.

In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.