A court in Assam’s Nalbari district has ordered police to file a first information report (FIR) against an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who is also the district deputy commissioner, for harassment allegedly of a junior officer.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate P Goswami said the police failed in their duty to respond to the complaint of Arpana Sarmah, a circle officer, who accused Nalbari DC Varnali Deka of “mental harassment, public humiliation and threats » while he was carrying out his electoral duties during the elections. Lok Sabha polls in May this year.

“I am of the opinion that the police failed in the duty imposed on them by law. An FIR should be filed into the allegations filed by the complainant and a proper investigation into this matter should be conducted in accordance with law,” Goswami said in his order issued on Monday.

The court ordered the officer-in-charge of Nalbari police station to register a complaint (against IAS officer Deka), conduct an investigation and submit his final report “as soon as possible”.

In her complaint, Sarmah had alleged that while discharging her election duties on May 7 at Gurdon Government Higher Secondary School in Nalbari, Deka “continuously harassed and maligned her publicly with slang words in front of the staff electoral”.

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Following the allegations of bullying and harassment, Sarmah left the EVM reception area at the school at 1:50 a.m. on May 8 “for the sake of her life” and went to the police station. Nalbari police and lodged an FIR against Deka.

But the officer in charge of the Nalbari police station did not register the FIR.

Following this, Sarmah raised the issue with Nalbari Commissioner of Police, DGP of Police and filed a petition in the Gauhati High Court seeking action against Deka.

In its order dated September 13, the Gauhati HC directed Sarmah to approach the jurisdictional magistrate for redressal of his grievance. The complaint was later filed in the CJM additional court in Nalbari.

Additional CJM in its order noted that although Sarmah filed the FIR against Deka on the same day, the police did not register it “even after the expiry of a period of 5 months” and “did not complete preliminary investigation.

“There are serious allegations against the accused (Deka) which are predictable in nature… the police have a duty to register the FIR and conduct an investigation… the delay is totally unjustified in view of the principle of established law,” Goswami said. In his order.

Comment from Deka is awaited and the copy will be updated as soon as it is received.