Uttarakhand SDM who lodged complaint against BJP MLA transferred

Purola SDM Sohan Singh Saini was transferred and attached with Garhwal Commissioner's office in Pauri on Sunday - day after he lodged a police complaint against local BJP MLA Durgeshwar Lal.

An order issued by the department of personnel on Sunday relieved Saini of his present responsibilities and asked him to take charge at his posting immediately.

The SDM had lodged a police complaint against Durgeshwar Lal at Purola Police Station accusing him of uploading misleading posts about him on the social media through an associate to malign him. He had also accused Lal of threatening to kill him.

Saini in his complaint had alleged that Lal had uploaded the posts through a man named Krishna to tarnish his image.

He had also accused the lawmaker of pressuring him to get "unnecessary things" done.

The official had demanded security citing a threat to his life, and had cautioned authorities that if anything bad happens to him, Lal should be held responsible for it.

Responding to Saini's allegations, the MLA said he was receiving complaints that the official was not treating people properly. He alleged that no work was done at the tehsil office till one paid a convenience fee.

The MLA alleged that he had told the SDM about how poor were being targeted in the name of removal of encroachment, but still took no action.

"It shows that if the official has such disregard for a people's representative, how he would be treating common people," Durgeshwar Lal said.

The BJP MLA also said that the official had the habit of going home in his official vehicle after lunch every day from where he carried out the rest of the day's business.

It had made difficult for people, especially women, to go to his place to get their works done, the MLA alleged.