The chief judicial magistrate's (CJM) court in Bareilly has issued a summons to IAS officer OP Verma, currently serving as special secretary in Lucknow, directing him to appear on July 2 in connection with an alleged case of assault and false imprisonment of a subordinate government staff member.
Details of the Complaint
The complaint was filed by RK Saxena, a clerk responsible for maintaining legal records in the 'chakbandi' (land consolidation) department. Saxena alleged that Verma, who was then posted as ADM (city) in Bareilly, summoned him to his official chamber on the evening of January 24, 2019.
According to Saxena's statement, three chakbandi officials — Ramakant Shukla, Prem Chandra, and Sunil Kumar Sharma — were present inside the chamber. Saxena claimed that Verma picked up a stick kept in a corner and began beating him, and that the other officials joined in, raining kicks and blows on him.
Saxena further stated that he was coerced into signing a statement prepared by Verma's 'peshkar' (a court reader or bench clerk). He was then handed over to Kotwali police the same evening under CrPC 151 for 'breach of peace' and was incarcerated on January 25. Saxena obtained bail on February 1, 2019. He added that his subsequent complaints to the SSP yielded no proper action, prompting him to approach the court.
Court's Findings
After examining Saxena's affidavit, witness statements, and the police investigation report, CJM Suresh Kumar Dube found prima facie grounds to proceed with the matter. The court rejected the defence's contention that prior government sanction was required to prosecute a public servant, citing a Supreme Court precedent that the 'protection available to public servants does not extend to abuse of official position'.
Background of the Case
The matter traces back to 2006 when a presiding officer in the chakbandi department passed two conflicting orders in the same appeal. When the discrepancy surfaced, the department allegedly filed a fraud case against Saxena, who was then working as a 'peshkar'. Saxena was acquitted from that case in May 2018. Subsequently, he began raising the issue of his harassment, which he alleged led senior officials to develop a grudge against him. Saxena also claimed that when he tried to file a defamation case against the 'errant' officer, they started harassing him again.
Response from OP Verma
In response to the allegations, OP Verma told Times of India on Thursday that the complainant forged his signature and illegally sold a land parcel of 100 bigha. He stated that there was a case pending in his court when he was ADM in Bareilly. Verma questioned how the case could proceed on behalf of a landowner who had died in 2006. He added that he then summoned the tehsildar and noted that the complainant had multiple FIRs lodged against him and had been terminated from service.
