Bihar: JD-U Ally Jitan Ram Manjhi Supports Dalit IAS in Lodging FIR against Nitish Kumar for ‘Forgery’

Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Tuesday demanded that police should register senior IAS officer Sudhir Kumar’s complaint against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and 21 others after the civil servant failed to lodge an FIR despite repeated attempts in the last four days. Manjhi heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha, an ally of the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U).

A 1987 batch IAS officer, Sudhir Kumar was an accused in a recruitment scam and spent three years in jail before being released last year on bail granted by the Supreme Court. He has publicly said that he wanted to lodge an FIR against CM Nitish Kumar for a conspiracy that framed him on false charges. He has accused Nitish Kumar and his close officers of forgery. 

Meanwhile, Sudhir Kumar has sought security in view of a threat to his life as he submitted on Saturday a long complaint to the state police against the chief minister. 

Manjhi, despite being a part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance in the state, supported Sudhir Kumar’s bid to lodge a complaint against Nitish Kumar and other powerful people. He expressed serious concerns over the role of police who are yet to register an FIR based on his complaint against the CM. 

“Bihar police should register an FIR by Sudhir Kumar, currently a member of the state revenue board. If police have been denying an IAS officer to lodge a complaint, imagine the helplessness of common people. Is it not contrary to rule of law as claimed by the state government without a miss?” Manjhi said.

Manjhi said it was not proper on the part of the police to refuse to register an FIR by Sudhir Kumar as it was the duty of the police to register a complaint by any person.

Manjhi is the first leader of the ruling NDA who has come forward in support of Sudhir Kumar, a Dalit bureaucrat. Nitish Kumar’s major ally BJP has been silent on the issue so far.

Sudhir Kumar on Saturday visited the SC-ST police station in Patna to lodge a 36-page complaint against Nitish Kumar and two top officers. But the police are yet to lodge an FIR even though they have officially received his complaint.

Sudhir, in a reference to failing to lodge a complaint despite two attempts, said he had personally visited the police station but the police station officer-in-charge left the police station "out of fear" along with complaint papers in which the CM’s name was mentioned as an accused in the forgery case.

Sudhir Kumar claimed that he was implicated in the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) paper leak case in 2017. He said he was framed as BSSC's then-chairman on the basis of false evidence and papers against him. "I have all the evidence in this matter and wanted an FIR against the CM, [t has been] so far not lodged," he said.

The opposition Mahagathbandhan including Left parties also supported Sudhir Kumar, saying he has a right to lodge an FIR. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav demanded a thorough inquiry and adequate security for the IAS officer. “Police should register his complaint without delay,” he told the media. “Should the one, against whom the complaint is, decide whether there should be an FIR?” Yadav asked, alleging that the documents submitted by Sudhir Kumar were being presented to the CM.

The Communist Party of India (CPI), CPI(M) and CPI(ML) leaders have also demanded that police should lodge a complaint in the case and provide full security to the IAS officer.