Widespread criticism and the public demanded suspension over the beating of a boy by Ranbir Sharma, the district collector. The boy went out to buy medicine, and he was carrying a self-declaration and Sharma slapped the youth in the road and threw his mobile on the road. The incident took place in the Surajpur district of Chhattisgarh.
Sharma had attacked the young man for allegedly ignoring the lockdown order, and footage of the incident has been widely shared on social media. After showing the document in his possession, the collector slapped the boy’s face and forcibly grabbed his mobile phone, and threw it on the road. Meanwhile, other police officers approached and beat the boy with a lathi.
This shameless collector in Chattisgarh not only abused his power but also slapped an innocent boy out on the road during pandemic and slammed his phone on the road. Not only should he be dismissed from service but there should be FIR. @bhupeshbaghelpic.twitter.com/4LyW448kEh
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) May 22, 2021
Following the controversy, the collector, Ranbir Sharma, apologized for his action. There is widespread criticism of Sharma’s indecent behavior. The IAS Association strongly condemned the behavior of the collector. The association said that what the collector Sharma did was completely wrong and that civil servants should act concerning the community.