Bengal DM sent on leave for assaulting youth

The district magistrate of West Bengal’s Alipurduar district, Nikhil Nirmal, has been sent on leave after a video of him assaulting a youth inside a police station went viral on social media.

After the police arrested the youth for allegedly passing offensive remarks against the DM’s wife Nandini Krishnan on Facebook on Sunday, the DM and his wife arrived at the Falakata police station in Alipurduar.

The video shows the DM repeatedly slapping the youth. His wife also was seen kicking the youth once. Nirmal could not be reached for comments.

“Nirmal has been asked to go on 10 days of compulsory leave after the incident came to our notice,” a senior state government official said.

The family members of the youth Vinod Kumar charged that the police refused to register a complaint against the DM and his wife.

“During the chat I told Nandini that her importance is only due to her husband and without him she is an ordinary person. Soon after she added me to a facebook group where she and other people started abusing me. I also responded in kind,” said Kumar.

The incident has generated severe discontent among locals and family members of the youth. “If my son has done anything wrong then he should be dealt with as per law. How can the DM assault him inside a police station in front of the police like this. I want exemplary punishment against him,” said Rajmohan, the youth’s father.

The police has lodged a general diary against the DM. The family members of Kumar said on Tuesday evening that following the assault he was admitted to a local hospital, but has gone missing from there.

Following the incident, Opposition leaders demand punitive measures against the DM.

While BJP district president Gangaprasad Sharma demanded that “legal action” be taken against the DM, CPM district secretary Mrinalkanti Roy demanded that the DM be transferred.