Nalanda lathicharge: 30 cops transferred, 3 suspended

Three days after cops lathicharged and assaulted women in Bihar's Nalanda district, all the 30 policemen from the Noor Sarai police station were transferred and three were suspended including station officer in charge Avadesh Singh, a police official told this scribe.

AGP (headquarter) Rajyavardhan Sharma said, "We have initiated an inquiry. The department have taken action against three policemen by suspending them and transferred the rest."

Sharma added that the police headquarters has decided to provide a new police team in Noor Sarai police station.

Sharma visited the police station on Friday after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a probe. Kumar also asked Sharma to visit the spot and submit a report immediately on the situation.

Taking cognisance of media reports of the police lathicharge, the Bihar Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued a notice to state Director General of police Abhyanand and directed him to submit a report in three days.

Nearly 20 people, including some women, were injured in a police lathicharge to disperse a mob which indulged in stone throwing, arson and road blockade near Noorsarai police station on Wednesday. They were demanding that Judicial Secretary (Panchayat) Reena Devi, who has been missing since August 24, should be traced immediately.

The women were brutally assaulted by the policemen when the mob gathered near Noor Sarai police station. The incident had occurred in the presence of Deputy Inspector General (central  range) Vineet Vinayak and Nalanda Superintendent of police Jitendra Rana.

The Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal has described the transfer of policemen as eyewash, "The State  government should also act against top officials," party member of Parliament Ram K irpal Yadav said.