Tehsildar suspended for singing Bollywood song while seated in official chair

A tehsildar from Maharashtra has been suspended after he was filmed singing a Bollywood song while seated in his official chair at his send-off function following transfer, officials said on Sunday.

According to a viral video, Prashant Thorat passionately belts out ‘Yara teri yari ko’ from 1981 Amitabh Bachchan-starrer ‘Yaarana’, with those around him clapping in sync. The board behind Thorat shows ‘taluka magistrate’.

Thorat, who was posted in Umri in the Nanded district, was transferred to Renapur in neighbouring Latur and relieved on July 30. He took charge of his new posting the same day. Both districts are part of the Marathwada division.

On August 8, the Umri tehsil office organised a send-off event for Thorat. During this programme, Thorat sang the Kishore Kumar chartbuster ‘Yara teri yari ko’ in the presence of the staff.

However, Throat’s musical performance found its way to social media, triggering sharp reactions, with many calling the behaviour inappropriate for someone holding a responsible government position, an official said.

After learning about the controversy, the Nanded Collector submitted a report to higher authorities, stating that Thorat’s conduct had tarnished the image of the administration and violated the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979, the official said.

Divisional Commissioner of Revenue Jitendra Papalkar, who is based in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, acted on the report and ordered Thorat’s suspension on Saturday, the official said.