Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel 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. सोशल मीडिया के माध्यम से सूरजपुर कलेक्टर रणबीर शर्मा द्वारा एक नवयुवक से दुर्व्यवहार का मामला मेरे संज्ञान में आया है। यह बेहद दुखद और निंदनीय है। छत्तीसगढ़ में इस तरह का कोई कृत्य कतई बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जाएगा। कलेक्टर रणबीर शर्मा को तत्काल प्रभाव से हटाने के निर्देश दिए हैं। — Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) May 23, 2021 Ranbir Sharma was transferred to the secretariat and replaced by Raipur Jila Panchayat CEO Gaurav Kumar Singh, an order issued on Sunday informed. 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." मुख्यमंत्री @bhupeshbaghel जी ने निर्देश दिए हैं कि सूरजपुर में कलेक्टर द्वारा नवयुवक के साथ दुर्व्यवहार के दौरान नवयुवक के क्षतिग्रस्त मोबाइल की प्रतिपूर्ति के रूप में उस नवयुवक को नया मोबाइल फोन उपलब्ध कराया जाए। — CMO Chhattisgarh (@ChhattisgarhCMO) May 23, 2021 Sharma had, however, apologised for his action. In the almost 3-minute-long video, he was seen slapping a man while enforcing lockdown norms in the district. He was also seen instructing the police officers accompanying him to beat the man. वाकई हद है ये. यकीन नहीं तो ये वीडियो भी देख लीजिये..@SurajpurDist कलेक्टर साहब आपको किस बात की इतनी खीज.. लड़का कह रहा, भगवान कसम फ़ोन पे कोई रिकॉर्ड नहीं किया..पर वाह रे दंभ..@bhupeshbaghel @tamradhwajsahu0 @_SubratSahoo @DPRChhattisgarh #lockdown #Chhattisgarh #cgnews pic.twitter.com/ZLAdkVlhLo — Anshuman Sharma (@anshuman_sunona) May 22, 2021 "He was a 23-year-old man over-speeding on a sports bike. 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 apologize for my behaviour today," Sharma said, while refuting claims that the person seen in the video is a minor. The collector and his parents had recently contracted the Covid-19 virus, he added. Surajpur, which is about 357 km from the state capital, has recorded 25,647 Covid-19 cases till May 22. The district has also seen 187 deaths since March 2020.
