CJM suspended for beating up kin, abusing neighbours in drunken fit

Source:-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Nainital: The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday suspended the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Uttarkashi for allegedly beating up his family members and abusing neighbours in a drunken fit.

The suspension order was issued after the employees of the district collectorate and residents of the Collectorate Colony lodged a complaint before the HC alleging that the official, Neeraj Kumar, would often assault his family members and even abuse the neighbours in an inebriated condition. The complainants alleged that Kumar got drunk on the night of October 29 and beat up his family members apart from damaging several vehicles in the area including that of the sub-divisional magistrate and tehsildar. An office memorandum issued by the HC and signed by registrar general Hira Singh Bonal said that that a drunk Kumar had parked his official vehicle in the middle of the road and kept honking continuously. “He plied the official vehicle allotted to him to the parking area of the colony and damaged the other government vehicles there,” the memorandum read.

The HC noted that the CJM’s conduct was in violation of the Uttarakhand Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 2002 and amounted to misconduct. Hence, the court suspended him with immediate effect and attached him to the district judge’s headquarters in Bageshwar along with the direction that he should seek prior permission to leave the station. Also, the official would receive only half of his salary and dearness allowance (DA) while under suspension, the HC decided.