DM thrashes man in police station, asked to go on leave

A West Bengal cadre IAS officer courted controversy on Monday after a video surfaced in which he was seen roughing up a man in a police station for allegedly making lewd comments at his wife on a social media platform.

In the video that went viral, the District Magistrate of Alipurduar Nikhil Nirmal and his wife were seen beating up the man inside the Falakata police station in the presence of the Inspector-in-Charge (IC).

While the district administration was tight lipped about the incident, state secretariat sources said that the DM has been asked to go on leave for 10 days.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged against the DM and his wife at a local police station by the family members of the victim, police said.

The man was reportedly summoned to the Falakata police station on Sunday evening, where the DM and his wife were already present.

The IAS officer and his wife were also heard hurling abuses at the man in the video.

Various human rights organisations have strongly condemned the incident and demanded action against the DM and the IC of Falakata PS.