BDO booked after squabble with Agra DM

The incident occurred when DM Bhanu Chandra Goswami had called a meeting to review the progress of public welfare schemes in the district

A block development officer (BDO) has been booked in a police case after he allegedly misbehaved with and attempted to physically hurt the district magistrate (DM) of Agra at the latter’s camp office here on Friday.

The case has been registered under section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 332 (preventing a pubic servant from discharging duties) of the Indian Penal Code at Rakabganj police station of Agra. (For representation)

The incident occurred when DM Bhanu Chandra Goswami had called a meeting to review the progress of public welfare schemes in the district. Chief development officer Pratibha Singh and BDOs from Agra district attended. One among them was Aniruddh Pratap Singh, the BDO of Baroli Aheer.

During the meeting, the DM had enquired with Pratap Singh about the slow pace of government schemes in his block, according to the FIR. The BDO, in response, got aggressive and hurled unparliamentary words while also issuing threats to the DM.

‘The BDO of Baroli Aheer attempted to even inflict physical harm on DM Bhanu Chandra Goswami and, in process, caused obstruction in the smooth conduct of government work,” stated Pankaj Kumar, the Assistant Development Officer for Panchayat at Khandoli in FIR lodged.

Shaili Rana, the in-charge of Rakabganj police station, said an investigation was underway. “The BDO named as accused in the FIR is yet to be contacted,” he added on Saturday.