Bihar governor seeks report on Sadhu Yadav episode

Bihar governor seeks report on Sadhu Yadav episode
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

PATNA, FEB 13: The Bihar IAS lobby, up in arms against Chief Minister Rabri Devi's MLA brother Sadhu Yadav for his alleged manhandling of state's transport secretary, has received a shot in the arm with Governor V C Pande asking the government to submit a detailed report on the incident.

Rajbhavan sources told newsmen on Tuesday that the Governor had written to the state government to furnish a detailed report on the incident in which Sadhu Yadav allegedly obtained the signature of Transport Secretary N K Sinha on an order revoking transfer of an officer of the transport department to Patna from Gopalganj, the MLA's constituency.

The governor has sought details of the episode and action taken by the government after filing of a case against Yadav following submission of a memorandum by the Bihar Indian Administrative Service Association (BIASA) on Saturday last seeking his intervention to uphold the rule of law and institution of a CBI inquiry into the case, a Rajbhavan spokesman said.

The governor had assured a 10-member BIASA delegation that he would take up the issue with the President, Prime Minister and Union Home Minister during his three-day stay in New Delhi from February 16.

When contacted, State's Home Secretary U N Panjiar said the demand for institution of a CBI probe was under the consideration of the government.

A late Monday night meet of the BIASA decided to fax assage to the Union Home Secretary requesting him to provide personal guards to all IAS officers of the state from the central polic organisation pool following anonymous threatening phone calls to some senior functionaries of the association.

``We have lost faith in the state police which granted bail to Sadhu Yadav in his drawing room after laying minor bailable charges against him. We cannot depend on them for our security anymore,'' a top BIASA functionary told PTI requesting not to be named.

The BIASA has also decided to write to the central association of IAS officers and associations of other states to extend their support in its 'fight for Justice'.

``We want to launch a joint front with other service associations like those of doctors, engineers and government officers in view of incidents of assault on them and frequent political interference in their functioning,'' he said.

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the BIASA was convened on February 15 to discuss the situation.

Yadav is in the Centre of a controversy for allegedly manhandling the transport secretary and forcing him at gunpoint to sign an order revoking the transfer of an enforcement inspector of the department Sitaram Paswan in the secretary's chamber in the high-security zone on January 18.

Though Paswan joined duty at Gopalganj after receiving the order, he was later dismissed by Sinha.

Yadav, on the other hand, has given a notice of breach of privilege against Sinha and the president of BIASA, Afzal Amanullah, accusing them of implicating him in a false case.