PATNA: The controversial police officer posted in Bihar's Lakhisarai, who was at the centre of a heated exchange of words between the state assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the House on Monday, was given the marching orders on Friday.
The police officer in question, Ranjan Kumar, was transferred to East Champaran district. He will assume charge as sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Areraj in East Champaran district, according to a notification issued by the home
department.
A 2018-batch IPS officer Syed Imran Masood will replace Ranjan. Masood was earlier posted as additional SP of Danapur in Patna. It will the first occasion when a direct recruit IPS officer has been posted as the SDPO of Lakhisarai. Ranjan and two other police officers were accused of misbehaviour with the Speaker when the latter had inquired about the arrest of Gautam Kumar by the Lakhisarai police in connection with a case related to violation of Covid19 guidelines in February this year.
Lakhisarai is the assembly constituency of the Speaker Sinha.
The matter was raised in the assembly by BJP legislator Sanjay Saraogi on Monday, which prompted the Chief Minister to engage in a heated discussion with the Speaker. Nitish was so agitated that he said the Speaker was running the House in violation of the Constitution.
In fact, a privilege motion notice was issued to the SDPO for misbehaviour with the Speaker. The director general of police S K Singhal was summoned and asked for a report. The matter is still pending with the privilege committee. The BJP MLA Saraogi had also alleged that nine people were killed in Lakhisarai within 52 days, sending shock waves among local residents. The station house officers of Birupur and another police officer were earlier put under suspension.
Ranjan, who was posted in Lakhisarai for more than two years, is considered close to the JDU national chief Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh. Lakhisarai happens to be the assembly constituency of Speaker Sinha, which falls under the limits of Munger Lok Sabha constituency. Lalan is the MP from Munger.