Patna: Four Bihar Police officials, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector, have been suspended after the erring cops allowed YouTuber Manish Kashyap, who is in judicial custody, to interact with the media during an appearance at a local court here.
Officials said the policemen were suspended on charges of dereliction of duty after going through videos showing Kashyap talking to the press while being escorted. Talking to mediapersons here, Rajeev Mishra, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP-Patna) on Tuesday said, "Four policemen, who escorted arrested YouTuber during his appearance in a Patna court on September 22, have been suspended for the dereliction of duty as they allowed Manish Kashyap to interact with media persons during his appearance in the court".
The SSP said "It's a serious lapse on the part of policemen who were in the escort team". A case has also been registered against Kashyap with Pirbahore police station in this regard, he added. Kashyap, who was arrested in March this year for making "fake video" of attacks on migrant workers from Bihar in Tamil Nadu, is currently lodged in Patna's Beur jail in judicial custody after spending months in a prison in the southern state.
In one video clip, Kashyap is seen stating, "I am the son of an Army man, not of chara chor (fodder thief). Both my father and grandfather served in the Army. I will die but not bend before them. I won't buckle under the pressure." The SSP further added, The Patna police have now written to Beur jail superintendent to arrange for virtual appearance of Kashyap during case hearings unless directed specifically by the court for his physical appearance.
