UP transfers Durga's boss, puts Gautam Buddh Nagar DM on wait list

Lucknow: Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Ravikant Singh, who had given a clean chit to suspended UP IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, has been transferred.

The action comes days after Singh had supported Nagpal, the 28-year-old SDM of Gautam Budh Nagar, who led the crackdown on sand mining mafia in her district and was suspended on 27 July ostensibly for ordering demolition of a wall of a under-construction mosque allegedly without following due process.

Singh had in his report to the Uttar Pradesh government supported Nagpal and said that the wall was demolished by villagers themselves and no JCB machine was put in operation to demolish it.

Though no official reason has been given for Singh’s transfer, it comes after villagers at Sorkha village in Sector 115 in Noida on Tuesday protested against a demolition drive in the area and pelted stones and set ablaze police vehicle.

Singh had on Tuesday reached the site and pacified the mob.

Officials said today that Singh has been put on wait list and replaced by DM, Unnao, Hiralal Gupta.

Besides Singh, others who have been transferred include special secretary in Infrastructure and Industrial Development department Kaushal Raj Sharma, who has been made the new DM of Muzaffarnagar replacing Surendra Singh, who has also been put on the wait list.

DM Mainpuri Vijay Karan Anand has been shifted to Unnao.

Special secretary IT Vinod Kumar Pawar has been made the new DM of Mainpuri.

PTI