Bhishm Pal Singh was arrested and dismissed from service on Wednesday. (Representational Image)

An inspector-rank police officer was dismissed from service after he was caught on camera allegedly masturbating in front of a 22-year-old woman who had gone to his office last month to file a complaint regarding a land dispute. The 53-year-old accused, Bhishm Pal Singh, was arrested on Wednesday evening.

After a video of the incident went viral on social media, Superintendent of Police, Deoria, Shri Pati Mishra suspended Bhishm Pal Singh on Wednesday and a case was also registered against him based on the woman’s complaint. A reward of Rs. 25,000 was also announced for information leading to Bhishm Pal Singh’s arrest.

“Bhishm Pal Singh was arrested and dismissed from service on Wednesday. He will be produced before a local court on Thursday,” said Additional Superintendent of Police, Deoria, Shishya Pal.

Police said the incident occurred when Bhishm Pal Singh was holding the charge of station house officer of a police station in Deoria. Last month, he was transferred to another police station in the same district, added an officer.

A senior police officer said the complainant told them that she visited a police station in connection with a land dispute. “She told us that she recorded the video on her cellphone when she last visited the police station – on June 22,” said the officer.

An FIR was registered against Bhishm Pal Singh on Wednesday under IPC section 354-A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 166 (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person), police said.