PATNA: A police inspector posted in Bihar’s Khagaria district was placed under suspension for allegedly posting in a WhatsApp group a morphed, photoshopped photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi showing him shaking hands with LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.
“The suspension order was subsequent to an investigation that found the allegations levelled against the inspector, Mohammad Islam, to be true,” said Khagaria SP Meenu Kumari on Thursday. The suspension order was issued by Vikas Vaibhav, the DIG of Munger range, who had ordered a probe.
Islam, 57, who worked at the Town police station in the eastern town of Khagaria, had allegedly posted the morphed, photoshopped image in a WhatsApp group of the local traders’ cell of Bihar’s ruling JD(U) earlier this month. The photo showed the PM shaking hands with Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed. A caption accompanying the photo read “Dekho kaun deshdrohi hai” (Look who is the traitor).
Alok Kumar Vidyarthi, a local BJP worker who is a member of the WhatsApp group, had lodged a complaint with the SP. With the local BJP leaders seeking action against Islam, he was transferred to Bagaha in West Champaran district on January 6, said sources. But the DIG cancelled the transfer order and placed him under suspension on Wednesday.
“The matter was investigated by a senior police official and the allegation was found true. The inspector’s alleged act was clearly in violation of the Bihar Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1976,” said the SP. An order for departmental action to be initiated against Islam has also been issued, she added.
Islam, however, claimed that he was being “unfairly treated” in the whole matter. “I had not sent this image. It was sent from my mobile phone by my grandson. I was not even aware of it till the allegations came up,” he said.