Balodadazar vandalism Collector, SP suspended

 

 

 

 

 

 

The State Government on Thursday late night suspended the Collector of Balodabazar district Kumar Lal Chauhan and the Superintendent of Police Sadanand Kumar for failing to take appropriate action regarding a complaint about the demolition of the Jaitkhambh religious site of the Satnami community in Mahkoni village, Balodabazar-Bhatapara district, in May 2024. The General Administration Department (GAD) of the Government of Chhattisgarh issued the suspension order for Kumar Lal Chauhan, a 2009 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, citing his inaction in addressing the complaint about the religious site’s demolition. Similarly, the Home Department of the Government of Chhattisgarh suspended Sadanand Kumar, a 2010 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, for his failure to take appropriate police action on the same complaint.

 

Both officers were suspended under Rule-3 (1) (a) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969. During their suspension period, Kumar Lal Chauhan will be attached to the Mantralaya in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, and Sadanand Kumar will be attached to the Police Headquarters in Raipur. They will both receive subsistence allowances during this period. Notably, government offices were vandalized, and vehicles set on fire during protests in Balodabazar town on June 10. Following this unrest, the Collector and SP of Balodabazar and Bhatapara districts were replaced on the night of June 11. Deepak Soni, a 2011 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the new District Collector of Balodabazar, and Vijay Agrawal, a 2012 batch IPS officer and former Surguja SP, has been posted as the new SP of Balodabazar.