india

Updated: Jan 11, 2014 09:06 IST

This Jharkhand politician’s austerity and simplicity will dwarf many a present-day politician, including the reigning champions of honesty and clean politics – the Aam Admi Party (AAP) leaders.

Considered a misfit in today’s political environment, Arun Kumar Roy or AK Roy as the former MP and legislator is popularly known, is a pauper whose only prized possession, a HMT watch, was robbed on Wednesday.

The watch was the only gift he ever accepted in his political career spanning six decades.

After dacoits attacked his house in Noondih village under Dhanbad’s Sudamdih police station area on Wednesday night, the former MP and legislator turned virtually bankrupt. “The robbers also took away my savings of Rs 2,600,” Roy told HT with a grin.

AK Roy former Dhanabd MP. BIJAY/HT photoBut this staunch Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC) leader doesn’t regret his present condition. "They were perhaps more needy," he said about the dacoits and did not go to the police to lodge a complaint.

The local police albeit went to him the next day after learning about the incident.

A bachelor with no dependents, Roy lives in the house of a party worker in the village and is fed by party cadre. The robbers also looted the belongings of the landlord, S Gorai, a staunch follower of Roy.

AK Roy former Dhanabd MP (in middle) flanked by his supporters. BIJAY/HT photo

Roy was a three-time MP from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad Lok Sabha constituency and represented Sindri assembly seat in the (united) Bihar assembly for an equal number of times before that.

At a time when corruption has become a national issue, Roy has set high standards of honesty and simplicity. He has even forgone his pension as an ex-parliamentarian and donated it to the President’s relief fund.