Shortly before Nitish Kumar inaugurated a conference on “empowerment of women” here on Tuesday, a young woman IPS officer caused huge embarrassment to the Chief Minister.

Barely a few hours before the conference, she not only slapped a middle–aged educated woman, but pulled her hair too before thrashing her in full public view in the State Capital.

The IPS officer – Kim – is posted as the City Superintendent (SP) of Patna and the incident took place at the heart of the capital. Kim had gone to Kankarbagh area on late Monday night where irate residents had blocked roads following death of two children due to electrocution. Initially, the police used batons to shoo away those protesting the death. But after a brawl with agitators, the situation got out of control when Kim not only slapped a woman but pulled her hair. To add insult to the injury, the policemen accompanying the City SP also thrashed the woman and her son.

The shameful incident took place despite Bihar DGP Abhyanand repeatedly asking his men–in–uniform to behave properly and with decency.

As the State Assembly’s Budget session began on Tuesday morning, members from Opposition parties decried the “goondaraj” unleashed by Nitish’s police.

RJD’s national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Ram Kripal Yadav met the victim and minced no words in slamming Nitish. “Throughout Bihar, the police have unleashed a reign of terror. Not only in Patna, but even in Nitish’s hometown Nalanda, police have assaulted women. Similar atrocities were witnessed in Forbesganj, Nawada and Begusarai,” charged Yadav, who was earlier a Lok Sabha member from Patna. “Is this what Nitish keeps on boasting about? The establishment of the rule of law,” wondered the Rajya Sabha MP.