Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday removed the collector of Surajpur district after a video of the IAS officer slapping a man for violating lockdown norms went viral on social media. Ranbir Sharma has been transferred to the secretariat and replaced by Raipur Jila Panchayat CEO Gaurav Kumar Singh.
The IAS Association also condemned the behaviour and wrote on Twitter: “It is unacceptable and against the basic tenets of the service and civility. Civil servants must have empathy and provide a healing touch to society at all times, more so in these difficult times.”
In the almost 3-minute-long video, Sharma was seen slapping a man, identified as Aman Mittal, while enforcing lockdown norms in the district. He was also seen instructing the police officers to beat the man.
Later, while apologising for his action, the district collector said, “He had a fake slip which he claimed was for vaccination. We have to be a little strict with people to ensure that lockdown norms are followed. However, I apologise for my behaviour.”
Mittal said that he was returning home after delivering food to his hospitalised Covid-19 infected grandmother. “My grandmother infected with Covid-19 was admitted to the hospital. I went there to give her food and to get her blood tested…”