Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday (May 23) removed Surajpur district collector Ranbir Sharma for slapping a man on road for allegedly violating the coronavirus lockdown. It is learnt that CM Baghel has ordered that IAS officer Sharma should be removed with immediate effect.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media and in the video IAS officer Sharma can be seen slapping a man for alleged violation of COVID-19 protocol. Reports claimed that the youth was out to buy some medicine when he was stopped by the police and slapped by Ranbir Sharma. In the video, Sharma can also be seen ordering the policemen to beat the man and register an FIR against him.
CM Baghel said that he learnt about the incident through social media. The chief minister condemned the incident and asserted that he will not tolerate these incidents.
सोशल मीडिया के माध्यम से सूरजपुर कलेक्टर रणबीर शर्मा द्वारा एक नवयुवक से दुर्व्यवहार का मामला मेरे संज्ञान में आया है।
यह बेहद दुखद और निंदनीय है। छत्तीसगढ़ में इस तरह का कोई कृत्य कतई बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जाएगा।
कलेक्टर रणबीर शर्मा को तत्काल प्रभाव से हटाने के निर्देश दिए हैं।
— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) May 23, 2021
The IAS association also condemned the incident and said, “The IAS Association strongly condemns the behaviour of Collector Surajpur, Chhattisgarh. It is unacceptable & against the basic tenets of the service & civility. Civil servants must have empathy & provide a healing touch to society at all times, more so in these difficult times.”
Earlier, IAS Sharma has issued an apology but blamed the man for his “insolent behaviour”. The district collector said it was “due to the youth's insolent behaviour that I was agitated and thus slapped him.”
Gaurav Kumar Singh has now taken charge as the new District Collector of Surajpur.