The media reports on the lady Patna city superintendent of police slapping a woman and her son in full pubic view on Monday night has put the Nitish Government in an embarrassing situation with the opposition leaders raising the issue vociferously, pointing fingers on ‘good governance’ of Nitish Kumar. The Bihar Chief Minister has expressed concern over the incident.

For the past two days, the video footage as well as reports in some sections of the local media on how Patna City SP Kim Gupta slapped a woman protester, Sujata, and her son, Animesh, were running widely under different headlines.

The incident has put the State Government in an embarrassing position as no senior police official came forward to make an official comment on it. But Nitish Kumar has expressed serious concern over the incident and said the police officer would be put to some counseling.

The opposition parties, meanwhile, got the much needed fuel to put Nitish’s ‘good governance’ on mat and they raised the issue during the ongoing session of the Bihar legislative council on Wednesday. “While responding to our question, the Chief Minister apologised for the police officer’s conduct and expressed his concern. He also said that since it was her first posting, she will undergo counseling”, said RJD MLC Nawal Kishore Yadav.

The opposition leaders have demanded action against the young lady police officer. “This is the face of good governance Nitish Kumar always talks about in Bihar. I had visited the place of incident yesterday and was shocked to know about the conduct of the police officer”, said RJD MP Ram Kripal Yadav. “In the regime of Nitish Kumar, the police officials have started behaving like they can do anything and get away with it….they damn care about the law and common people’s concerns”, said most of the opposition leaders in the State.

With the incident and its wide media coverage, the local people too have demanded immediate action against the lady police officer. “She is good for nothing… she acts like she has become an iron lady and  she could do whatever she wishes”, rued a resident of Rajendra Nagar who too had got a taste of Kim Gupta’s ire when she had visited his Charminar apartment to investigate a case.

However, this correspondent too had a very bad experience of policing in Patna when local Kadamkuan police inspector Jyoti Prakash had acted like a real terror when he was called after a murderous assault on him in the same Rajendra Nagar locality. He not only tried to intimidate the correspondent but also helped the attackers lodge a counter FIR against this correspondent. Despite the local residents’ complaint no action was taken against the inspector.

Of late, incidents of crime and loot in the city have gone northward putting all the good efforts of Nitish Kumar on the law and order situation on mat. “Policing in Patna needs a thorough overhaul, otherwise people will get a chance to raise finger on Nitish’s good governance, as in the capital city such expressions get far and wide echo”, said Ashutosh Kumar, a history lecturer.

Ironically, on the “slapping issue”, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has reportedly told mediapersons that since the lady officer has joined recently she did not know much. “We should forget the incident”, said Modi when asked if any action would be taken against the lady officer. Kim Gupta, a resident of UP, is the 2008 batch IPS officer. The incident happened on Monday night when two youths got electrocuted near Tewary-Bechar in Kankarbagh area of the capital. Protesting the incident, the local people had blocked the road demanding action against the contractor of the civic work going on at the spot. “But, when the local police station officials reached the spot they were drunk and refused to do anything to pacify the protesters”, alleged a local resident of Kankarbagh.

When the situation went out of control, the lady City SP reached the spot with reinforcements and reportedly argued with a local woman resident who was watching the protest along with her sons from inside her compound. “All of a sudden the City SP entered our compound around 10:30 pm and started beating up my sons Manish, Animesh and Subh. When I intervened she also slapped me hard twice”, complained Sujata, 45.

However, the police said that Sujata had retaliated and slapped the lady SP.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu notice of the slapping incident and has sought a detailed report from the police headquarters.

Interestingly, no senior police official came forward to make a comment on the “slapping footage” by the lady City SP. “How can I make any comment before investigation?...I did not have the time to see the video footage... we’ve a system in place and the police will look into the matter if a complaint is lodged”, Bihar DGP Abhayanand was quoted as saying in a section of the media.