EC ASKS J’KHAND GOVT TO REMOVE DEOGHAR DC ON BJP MP’S PLAINT

RANCHI: The Jharkhand government must remove Deoghar deputy commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri from his current posting with immediate effect, and initiate disciplinary proceedings against him, the Election Commission of India (ECI) directed on Tuesday.

The order came on a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey, who alleged that the Deoghar district administration registered five cases against him with “mala fide intention” in connection with the Madhupur assembly by-election earlier this year. The deputy commissioner was the district election officer, as is the norm nationwide.

The federal poll body has directed the state government not to post the Indian Administrative Service officer as deputy commissioner or any other election duty without its permission.

“…to initiate disciplinary proceedings for major penalty against Manjunath Bhajantri, IAS, DC-CUM-CEO, Deoghar by issuing charge memo to him within 15 days from receipt of this order, under intimation to the Commission, and further directs that Manjunath Bhajantri, IAS, be removed from the post of DC-CUM-DEO, immediately, and should not be posted as DC/DEO or any other election duty without prior permission from the Commission,” reads the order issued by Rahul Sharma, principal secretary to the ECI, on Monday. HT has seen a copy of the order.

“We are getting the order legally examined,” said Vinay Chowbey, principal secretary to the chief minister. “Any decision on it would be taken accordingly.”