BAHRAICH
: A platoon commander and four home guards were allegedly beaten and suspended by a District Magistrate (DM) here, as he suspected they were responsible for two sandalwood trees missing from his official residence this week.
The alleged victims are now staging a dharna at the collectorate to protest against
DM Abhay Singh
. Gajraj Pathak, the head of the homeguards' association, has threatened to launch a state-wide agitation against DM Singh.
It all started Tuesday night, when it came to light that the trees had been chopped off. Platoon Commander Harishchandra Sharma and home guards Darbarilal, Shiv Kumar Tiwari, Mohammad Kamaruddin and Dharamraj were guarding Singh's residence.
When the DM learned that the trees had been cut down, he was enraged. He snatched Commander Sharma's stick and began beating him, and the homeguards too.
He later suspended them.
The victims have failed to get the police to register an FIR. Salikram Varma, Superintendent of Police of Bahraich, said the DM had only suspended them, and that they were foisting false charges to avoid an inquiry.
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