Uttar Pradesh Official Removed After Allegations Of Humiliation In Office
A government official in the town of Mirganj, Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, has been removed from his position following a viral video depicting a man allegedly subjected to humiliation in the official’s office. Udit Pawar, the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Mirganj, faced accusations of instructing a man to ‘crouch like a chicken’ after the individual visited his office for the third time, seeking assistance regarding a cremation ground issue.
In UP’s Bareilly, a complainant could be seen kneeling down in front of SDM Udit Pawar. pic.twitter.com/RAIQD3Hfss
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) September 15, 2023
Mr. Pawar denied these allegations, claiming that the man was already in a crouched position upon entering his office. He stated that he questioned the reason behind the man’s posture and directed others present to assist him in standing up.
However, the District Magistrate conducted a preliminary investigation and concluded that the SDM was at fault. As a result, Mr. Pawar was relieved of his post, and no new assignment has been given at this time.
The victim reported that he and several villagers from his area visited the SDM’s office to address their concerns regarding the lack of a cremation ground. Instead of addressing their issue, the SDM purportedly subjected him to humiliation and discarded his complaint letter.
The complaint letter from the villagers highlighted that both Hindus and Muslims reside in their village, but there is no designated cremation ground. Allegedly, certain members of the Muslim community have claimed the land intended for the cremation ground as a cemetery. Consequently, they urged the district administration to provide land for a crematorium, as they face difficulties in performing last rites.
In his defense, the SDM stated that he found several individuals from the village in his office upon his return from court, and one person was already crouched on the office floor.
“One of them suddenly got in that position as soon as he saw me. I asked him why he was doing that and requested others to help him up. Meanwhile, someone shot a video at that moment and left. I listened to their complaint and also asked the accountant to settle the matter. The allegation that I punished that man is not true,” explained Udit Pawar.
The District Magistrate, Shivkant Dwivedi, reviewed the video footage showing a man in a humiliating position in Mr. Pawar’s office.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Bareilly DM Shivakant Dwivedi says, “A video came to my notice in which a person was made to sit on the floor in a humiliating position in the office of SDM Udit Pawar. It was investigated and prima facie, negligence of Mirganj SDM Udit Pawar has been… pic.twitter.com/BrPENj7j2t
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) September 16, 2023
Following the inquiry, he concluded that the officer had been negligent, leading to Mr. Pawar’s immediate removal from his position, with a replacement officer appointed.
