The Election Commission on Saturday ordered the transfer of Patna Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vikram Sihag and action against three other officials, two days after a violent clash between supporters of the Janata Dal (United) and Jan Suraaj Party in Mokama left one person dead.
The Commission had sought a report on the incident from the Bihar Director General of Police on Friday. In its instructions to the state’s Chief Electoral Officer on Saturday, the EC ordered Sihag’s transfer and directed that a panel of officers to select his substitute be sent urgently.
It also ordered the replacement of Mokama Sub-Divisional Officer-cum-Returning Officer Chandan Kumar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Barh-1) Rakesh Kumar, and SDPO (Barh-2) Abhishek Singh. The Commission directed disciplinary proceedings against all three, and suspended Singh with immediate effect.
The EC asked the CEO to submit a compliance report on its instructions by 12 noon on Sunday.
The clash took place on Thursday afternoon when the two groups fought in Mokama. Dular Chand Yadav, a 75-year-old resident of Tartar village, was found dead when the police reached the site, according to officials.
The incident comes just a week before polling begins for the Bihar Assembly elections on November 6.
