The Tripura government has reportedly removed West Tripura District Magistrate Shailesh Kumar Yadav for manhandling people in two marriage parties in Agartala recently.
Yadav, who earlier apologized for disrupting the marriage ceremonies during the raids on April 26, in a letter to the Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar on Sunday requested to be relieved from the post of District Magistrate pending an inquiry into the incident that rocked the state and many parts of the country.
Tripura Education and Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Monday said that responding to Yadav’s request he has been relieved from the post and Director Industries and Commerce Raval Hamendra Kumar has been appointed as the new West Tripura District Magistrate and Collector.
The Tripura High Court following a petition on Monday has served a notice to the Tripura government to submit video footage, necessary evidence and other documents in connection with the April 26 incidents in the two marriage halls.
After the controversy over the April 26 incident, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb had asked the Chief Secretary to submit a report about the DM’s actions in dealing with the holding of the marriage ceremonies defying the night curfew and the SOPs.
The state government had also constituted a two-member committee to probe the incident.
Former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, at least five MLAs of the ruling BJD, Tripura Women Commission Chairperson Barnali Goswami, all the opposition parties vehemently criticized the DM for his “unsavoury” behaviour and actions.
One of the five MLAs Ashish Das also held demonstrations protesting the DM’s actions.
Following a direction by Yadav, as many as 31 people, including 19 women, were detained by the police from the marriage halls for violating the night curfew and other Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) enforced to curb the Covid spread.
However, all 31 people were subsequently released from the West Agartala police station.