Amethi DM removed for ‘manhandling’ BJP man’s kin

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, November 14

The Yogi Adityanath government on Thursday summarily transferred Amethi District Magistrate Prashant Sharma days after a video of his misbehaviour with a cousin of the murdered son of a BJP leader went viral.

He has been put on the waiting list, while Moradabad District Magistrate Arun Kumar becomes the new Amethi DM. In the video, outgoing DM Prashant Sharma was seen losing his temper and pulling Sunil Singh by his collar instead of pacifying the agitated relatives.

Sunil Singh is the cousin of murdered Sonu Singh, son of a local BJP leader, and was among the agitated crowd outside the hospital where the postmortem was taking place. Amethi MP Smriti Irani in a tweet had indicted the DM on his behaviour and reminded him of his duty. “Vinaysheel evam samvedansheel banein hum, yahi prayaas hona chahiye. Janata ke hum sevak hain, shaasak nahi (We should always try to be humble and caring. We are here to serve people not to rule.)” She tagged the DM in her tweet.

Replying to Irani’s tweet, Sharma had said he was following her instructions of serving the people of Amethi. He had also attached a video of Sunil Singh in which he had denied being manhandled by the Amethi District Magistrate.

Sunil was protesting against the delay in postmortem and arrest of Sonu's killers when the DM shoved him and held him by his collar. “The district's most senior officer is standing here. Can you show me if that man has a firearm?" Sharma is seen asking Sunil.