Uttar Pradesh official removed from post after video of complainant sitting in ‘murga’ pose goes viral

Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 16 (ANI): A sub-divisional magistrate in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district has been removed from his post after a purported social media video showed a man who had come to the SDM office with a complaint was forced to squat in a ‘murga’ (rooster) position as punishment.
The incident allegedly took place in Mirganj Tehsil in Bareilly, where a group from Mandanpur village had come to the Sub-District Magistrate's office with a complaint regarding a  measurement issue of the cremation ground in their village.
SDM Udit Pawar allegedly asked one of the complaints to sit in the 'murga' pose.
The purported video of the incident that is doing rounds on social media shows a group of people standing before the SDM in his office, while a man is seen sitting on the floor in an awkward posture, holding his ears.
Bareilly District Magistrate Shivakant Dwivedi told ANI: "SDM Pawar misused his power and it was utter negligence from his side. He has been removed from Mirganj Tehsil and a new Deputy Magistrate has been appointed in his place.”
"A video came to my attention in which a person was made to sit on the floor in a humiliating position in the office of SDM Udit Pawar. It was investigated, and prima facie it was found to be negligence of Mirganj SDM Udit Pawar has been found, and he has been immediately attached to the headquarters," the Bareilly District magistrate said.
Pawar, however, said that the charges against him were baseless. And claimed that he had not asked anyone to sit an "insulting position" and the man shown in the video sat on the floor on his own while another person had recorded him doing the act. (ANI)