The Bihar officer who, earlier, had made a policemen do sit-ups for daring to check the valid pass for the movement of his vehicle during lockdown in Araria district on April 20, was transferred to Patna Head Quarter through a department notification on Saturday.
The District Agriculture Officer of Araria Manoj Kumar has been transferred to Patna to the post of Deputy Director in the department. The Kishanganj District Agriculture Officer Santlal Prasad Shah has been asked to take charge of Araria district as well.
Earlier, the Araria Agriculture Officer had shot into limelight after a video recently went viral on social media in which a policeman wearing a black bandanna on his head and face was seen was doing sit-ups while holding his ears before him. Other policemen too were seen standing by them in the video.
The officer was said to have been enraged when his vehicle was stopped by the policeman on duty to check valid pass for movement during lockdown in the district. The incident took place on April 20, under Jokihat police station area of Araria where policemen Ganesh Tatma and others were deployed to check movement of vehicles and people during lockdown.
However, reacting to reports the State Agriculture Department, later, tweeted to clarify that “1. DAO, Araria transferred out of Araria as Dy. Director, training in HQ. He is NOT promoted but already in Dy. Director scale. 2. Department proceedings against him already been initiated. 3. FIR already filed.”
State Agriculture Minister Prem Kumar said “the departmental investigation against him will continue”. “The officer, has, in fact, been called to the State headquarters to avoid any intervention in the investigation against him,” the Minister told journalists.
Earlier, the Agriculture Minister had said that a departmental investigation had been ordered against the Araria District Agriculture Officer and “action will be taken against him in 24 hours”.
An FIR under Indian Penal Code Sections 353, 355, 500, 506 and 51 of Disaster Management Act too was filed against Mr. Manoj Kumar and Block Agriculture Coordinator Rajeev Kumar in Araria town police station.
SI suspended
Taking strong exception to the incident, the State Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey had put the sub-inspector of police Govind Singh who was present there, under suspension for “negligence of duty”.
Mr. Pandey had also spoken to Mr. Tatma and said he was “proud of him” for doing his duty. “I’ve brought this matter to the government’s notice and strong action will be taken against those who will be found guilty in the investigation,” Mr. Pandey had added.
Opposition shocked
Meanwhile, the Opposition party leaders have expressed shock and wonder over transfer of the Araria Agriculture Officer to Patna HQ in the same scale.
“Is it good governance of the Nitish government?...those who should have been penalised are being awarded with transfer to Patna from a district…this action will downplay the morale of State police,” reacted Hindustani Awam Morcha leader Danish Rizwan while an RJD leader said, “the Araria Agriculture Officer seems to have strong political connection to the ruling party…so no action was taken against him yet but transferred to Patna.”
