Under fire after a woman was stripped in public on Exhibition Road on Thursday, the Bihar government today transferred 14 senior police officers, including an inspector-general and a deputy inspector-general.
With the incident sparking outrage and threatening to sully the Nitish Kumar-led government's image, IG (central zone) Sunil Kumar, DIG (central range) JS Gangwar, SSP (Patna) R Malar Vizhi, and SP (city) Anwar Hussain were transferred.
Three other superintendents of police of Patna East, Patna West, and Patna Rural
and all seven deputy SPs, who are entrusted with the task of maintaining peace in the state capital, were also transferred.
PN Rai will be the new IG of the central zone while Jitendra Kumar was appointed DIG of the central range and Vineet Vinayak took over as SSP (Patna) along with Manu Maharaj, who took over as SP (city).
Sunil Kumar has been posted as special secretary (home), Gangwar as DIG(personnel), Vizhi as assistant IG (police headquarters), and Hussain as SP (Sitamarhi).
Additional director-general of police (headquarters) Neelmani told the Press Trust of India that the transfers were effected to tone up the law-enforcing machinery in the state capital and had nothing to do with Thursday's incident.
While acknowledging that the transfers were aimed at refurbishing the image of the police force, particularly in Patna, Neelmani refused to admit that they were effected due to strident criticism by the opposition of the government.
"The media is a better judge," he said. "I have nothing more to say. Who can deny the fact that these transfers have been done in the aftermath of the shameful incident on Thursday?"
Besides, 10 Indian Police Service and 15 Bihar Police Service officers were also transferred in a routine reshuffle today.
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