Bihar Panchayat official faces probe over 'liquor party' in office
Darpan News Desk IANS, 25 Mar, 2022 10:23 AM
Patna, March 25 (IANS) The Patna district administration has launched an enquiry against the Secretary of a Panchayat for allegedly organising a liquor party in a government office, an official said on Friday.
Block Development Officer, Bihta, Vishal Anand, has written a letter to the Panchayati Raj Ministry for action against accused Panchayat Secretary Bhim Kumar.
"A video of a Panchayat secretary surfaced before district administration on Friday where he was consuming liquor and a semi-nude girl was also present there. Based on this video, we have written a complaint to the Panchayati Raj Ministry to investigate this matter and take action against the accused.
"The district administration has also initiated a separate inquiry into the matter. We will take legal action based on the investigation report," Anand said.
As per the video uploaded on social media, and not authenticated by IANS, Bhim Kumar is seen consuming liquor along with other people including a girl in a semi-nude position at his office-cum-residence, allocated to him by the state government.
Meanwhile, Bhim Kumar claimed that the video was doctored and someone is trying to malign his image. He said that he was never involved in organising a liquor party in his office or any other place.
In another incident, Excise Department officials arrested a CEO of a software company for procuring liquor.
"We have conducted a raid at flat number 505 of Mundeshwari apartment located at Rajiv Nagar locality and arrested a person named Abhishek Kumar in a drunken stage on Thursday night. We have also recovered a liquor bottle from the flat," Assistant Commissioner Kishore Kumar Shah said.
Rejecting all opposition to his elevation, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party's new Punjab unit President along with four Working Presidents.
Calling the reports of alleged snooping on prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware as "baseless", the ruling BJP on Monday said there is not a single shred of evidence so far that links either the central government or the party to this controversy.
Congress MPs from both Houses had met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the issues related to Punjab and sought an appointment with Gandhi.
Apart from reviewing the security arrangements in the national capital, the Delhi Police have also strengthened the security in and around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day.
Police said acting on a specific information, Budgam Police along with the Army's 53 RR and 43 BN of the CRPF arrested one local terrorist linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one Chinese pistol, one magazine, eight live pistol rounds from his possession.
As the Pegasus spyware scandal unravelled within and outside Parliament, he termed it a "shocking assault" on India's democratic polity by the Union government, which had compromised the national security with "this blatantly disgraceful act".
