Chief Secretary looking into alleged misbehavior by IAS officer: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said Chief Secretary Amir Subhani was looking into a top IAS officer's alleged misbehavior with lower rung officials which has triggered state-wide protests.

Kumar, who was touring Araria district as part of 'Samadhan Yatra', was asked about the controversy surrounding KK Pathak, an additional chief secretary rank officer, in protest against whose alleged bad behavior state administrative service officers turned up for work wearing black badges.

"I am in the know of the viral video. I learnt about it upon return (to Patna) from the Yatra yesterday. The chief secretary is looking into the matter. Appropriate action will follow a thorough inquiry," said the chief minister.

The matter had come to light after a video went viral on social media in which Pathak, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, could be heard spouting expletives and ruling the lack of civic sense in the people of Bihar, including government officials.

A police complaint has been lodged against the bureaucrat by the Bihar Administrative Service Association (BASA) which has also given the call for registering a protest by wearing black badges.

Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Samrat Chaudhary of the BJP alleged that the incident was "yet another instance of bureaucratic high-handedness in Bihar" and demanded strict action against Pathak who is considered one of the most trusted officers of the chief minister.