MANGALDAI, Jan 22 - The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Darrang, Lohit Kumar Saikia on Wednesday imposed a fine on a senior officer of the Assam Civil Service (ACS) in the rank of a director, and in default, ordered three months� imprisonment.
The senior officer against whom the court passed the judgement has been identified as Suresh Ch Sarma, a former Additional Deputy Commissioner in Darrang who is presently holding the post of Director in the Tea Tribe Welfare Department, Government of Assam.
According to the case records, the president of the Darrang District Government Drivers� Association, Prafulla Deka had filed a CR case (No. 737/09) in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate against two officers. It was alleged that on the midnight of May 16 of 2009, the then Additional Deputy Commissioner, Suresh Chandra Sarma physically assaulted a government driver, Biren Boro.
The incident took place near the Deputy Commissioner�s office complex and residence.
After hearing both the sides, the court awarded a fine of Rs 1,000 on the Additional Deputy Commissioner and in default, imprisonment for a period of three months.
In the same judgement, a fine of Rs 500 has also been imposed on another senior officer from Assam Civil Service and the then Circle Officer of Mangaldai Revenue Circle, Dr Tahidur Rahman, who was also present along with Suresh Sarma at the time of incident and in default, imprisonment for 22 days.
It was alleged that Dr Rahman, who is presently serving as the Circle Officer in Tezpur Revenue Circle, prohibited Biren Boro from getting into the vehicle.
Meanwhile, both the officials strongly opposed the court�s decision and submitted a petition before it to prefer an appeal in the appellate court and both of them were allowed to go on bail.
It may be mentioned here that Dr Tahidur Rahman had lodged an FIR against driver Biren Boro at Mangaldai Police Station (Case No. 322/09) accusing the driver of reckless driving. However, the court after hearing both the sides acquitted the accused driver Biren Boro of all charges.
Advocate Premeswar Sarma and his associates appeared for Biren Boro in both the cases.
