EC action against Mokama poll officers for ‘negligence, dereliction of duty’

NEW DELHI: Election commission Saturday ordered the replacement of superintendent of police (Patna Rural) Vikram Sihag and Mokama returning officer Chandan Kumar for alleged "negligence" and "dereliction of duty” in preventing the murder of Jan Suraaj Party supporter Dularchand Yadav in Bihar's Mokama assembly constituency (AC).

EC directed that disciplinary proceedings be initiated Chandan Kumar, sub divisional officer of Barh & Mokama returning officer, and two sub divisional police officers (SDPOs) of Barh, Abhishek Singh and Rakesh Kumar.

The poll panel also got Bihar administration to suspend three officers -- SDPO Abhishek Singh, station house officers (SHO) of Bhadaur Ravi Ranjan Chauhan and SHO of Madhusudan Kumar -- with immediate effect.



A report sent to EC by the Bihar chief electoral officer (CEO) as well as inquiries with the concerned election observer are said to have indicted the said officers for dereliction of duty, negligence and failure to act on prior intelligence regarding likely clashes between gangs led by political strongmen or 'bahubalis'. Mokama - which goes to polls on Nov 6 — is known for being a stronghold of controversial ‘bahubalis’ who often use muscle-power to disturb the level playing field during polls and influence the electors to vote for their favoured candidate.

The report states that a large number of Central forces are deployed in Patna Rural district. It said the Mokama returning officer and the sub divisional police officers in Barh were repeatedly asked to ensure maximum utilisation of the forces to maintain law and order, but they failed to do so. There was also a lapse on part of the RO in ensuring proper adherence to the model code of conduct, the report added. As regards Patna Rural SP, it was pointed out that he failed to take requisite action against the aforesaid officers after the incident.

The police in a poll-bound area are required by EC guidelines to ensure depositing of all licensed arms and seizure of illegal arms, as a precautionary step against poll violence. The sensational murder in Mokama, however, points to failure on part of the police machinery there to do so, as per EC sources.

Directing that the Patna Rural SP may be transferred, EC has sought a panel of officers for posting his substitute. “A compliance report in this regard may be furnished by 12 noon of Nov 2, 2025,” EC said in a letter to the Bihar CEO.

The letter conveyed EC's approval for replacing Mokama returning officer Chandan Kumar with Ashish Kumar, IAS officer and additional municipal commissioner of Patna municipal corporation.

EC also okayed Anand Kumar Singh, deputy SP (Dy-SP), CID, Patna, as Rakesh Kumar’s replacement and Ayush Shrivastava, Dy-SP, Anti-Terrorist Squad, Patna, as Abhishek Singh's substitute.

Dularchand Yadav was shot dead in Mokama a couple of days back in the middle of election campaign. The murder triggered a political slugfest with different parties condemning the incident. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav cited the incident as a law and order failure and questioned the Patna administration and EC over action to be taken in the wake of the incident.

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