| Font Size |
Kumar wielded the stick acting swiftly on the report of Principal Secretary (Home) Amir Subhani who inquired into Sunday's shocking incident.
Health services, meanwhile, were partially affected across the state with about 2,600 government doctors under the banner of Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA) boycotting hospital work for 24 hours from 6 am today against the killing of their colleague Bhuddhadev Singh at Gopalganj jail on Sunday night.
The family members of the doctor also demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing.
General Administration department sources told PTI that Anand Kishore would be new IG (Jail) replacing Ramesh Lal while Pankaj Kumar will take over as the DM of Gopalganj from Pankaj Kumar Pal.
Nitish Kumar announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the victim.
He also made it clear that no legislation can be enacted in a haste in the context of the demand by BSHSA that the state government immediately enact a law -- Medical Professionals Protection Act -- on the lines of 12 other states, including Andhra Pradesh and ensure adequate security to doctors on duty.
"The strike is total with doctors turning up to the hospitals but boycotting the hospital work," BSHSA General Secretary Ajay Kumar and Secretary Ranjit Kumar said.
Official sources however said the strike was "partial".
Singh was first admitted to a government hospital in Gopalganj. He was then rushed to Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) after his condition deteriorated. Singh died later at PMCH.
"We have noticed the District Magistrate failed to visit the jail... and the Assistant Jailor was holding charge of jail superintendent in his absence," Kumar said.
Referring to the demand of the implementation of Medical Professionals Protection Bill in Bihar, the chief minister said, "The state government cannot act in haste".
"Moreover, the proposed Medical Professionals Protection Bill likely to be tabled in the House during the monsoon session of the state legislature has nothing to do with the present case as the murder was committed in judicial custody," he said.
"To our utter surprise, jail authorities kept convicts in the Gopalganj jail against the settled norms," Kumar said adding it was a state government order that those convicted in serious criminal offences be shifted to a central jail in Bihar.
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
Transferring erring or guilty officers is the first step the government does to buy time for the guilty. The next step is that the guilty complain of chest pains or high blood pressure and they are hospitalised. After hospitalisation they may be sent toa jail as first class prisoners where they can talk all day on their mobile homes, watch TV and eat home cooked food. They shall get bail very quickly. At some point of time the police may file an FIR. It all depends on how the case may affect the party in power. Justice shall continue to remain a distant dream for those who dare to dream.