Rajasthan officer who hit man at fuel pump suspended

Three staff members from the Bhilwara petrol pump station, who were arrested on Wednesday night for allegedly engaging in a brawl with Chhotulal Sharma, SDM of Pratapgarh

Jaipur: Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Thursday suspended the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer Chhotu Lal Sharma, after he slapped a worker at a fuel pump station in Bhilwara on Tuesday.

A CCTV footage, showed Sharma slapping the employee. Sharma claimed the footage was edited later.

Sharma was serving as the assistant director (public service) at Pratapgarh district headquarters.

According to an order issued by the chief minister’s office, said, “As per the section 13 of the Civil Services (Classification, Control, and Appeal) Act 1958, the RAS officer Chhotu Lal Sharma is being suspended immediately. During this period, he will report to Department of Personnel in Jaipur.”

According to the officials, Sharma, had also been removed earlier from his posts thrice in his for different offences.

He was SDM, Mandal Sub-Division in Bhilwara in 2017, when he was suspended after a public altercation with the panchayat samiti development officer. In 2018, he was suspended as SDM, Tonk, for assaulting a staffer.