The alleged assault on a liquor trader Mukesh Kumar has led to the removal of Superintendent of Police of Bihar’s Sheikpura district Babu Ram and transfer of a dozen policemen of Barbigha police station on the orders of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Ram has been called to the state police headquarters and Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kahalgaon Meenu Kumari made the new SP, a government notification said today.

The 13 policemen at the Barbigha police station, including In-charge Ram Pratap Paswan have been transferred. A new OC has been appointed, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Munger Range, Anil Kishore Yadav said.

The chief minister issued the instructions at a meeting with Director General of Police Abhayanand and Principal Secretary (Home) Amir Subhani and ordered a high-level inquiry with the report to be submitted tomorrow, an official statement said.

The chief minister also ordered that a FIR be lodged on the basis of the statement of the liquor trader.

Additional Director General of Police (Hqs) Ravinder Kumar and Inspector General, Jail, Anand Kishore visited the 30-year-old trader at the Patna Medical College and Hospital and spoke to him and his family.

The liquor trader was arrested on January 24 by the Sheikhpura police and allegedly beaten up at the residence-cum-office of the SP a day later.

The man was taken to the PMCH on January 25 night after his condition deteriorated.

Superintendent of PMCH, O P Chaudhary told PTI today that the man’s condition was stable and that a close watch was being kept on his health.

RJD president Lalu Prasad and party MP Ram Kripal Yadav who visited the PMCH last night and met the victim demanded a CBI inquiry.

BPCC President Chaudhary Mehboob Kaisar in a statement said that the thrashing in police custody ‘reflected the true face of the NDA government’

The CPI-ML said that the Sheikhpura incident has brought to light the atrocities of the police.

The incident followed close on the heels of the removal of Saran range DIG for allegedly demanding Rs 10 crore as extortion from a liquor trader.

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