Amidst a recent development, the Tripura High Court offered some breathing space to Dr. Sailesh Kumar Yadav (2013-batch IAS officer), the incumbent Commissioner of the Agartala Municipal Corporation, by dropping the charges of “improper behaviour and atrocities” by Officer Yadav (then, posted as the District Magistrate of West Tripura) against two families who organised marriage ceremonies by violating the COVID restrictions in April 2021.
The raids by Officer Yadav had kicked up dirt and evoked widespread criticism across the country, especially after a video of the DM’s action went viral on social media. The state government had been under pressure to take action against the officer from the cross-section of society. The All-India Priests’ organisations had demanded the state government award exemplary punishment to Officer Yadav for assaulting the priest in the marriage ceremony.
On May 22nd, the HC Bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Arindam Lodh handed out a clean chit to the IAS officer after scrutinising three separate reports by inquiry committees. Since the allegations of excess were raised against the District Magistrate, a probe committee was formed with two IAS officers, whose report, however, couldn’t satisfy the High Court. Retired Judicial Officer Shubash Shikdar was included in the committee, but the second report had failed to satisfy the High Court. The third inquiry was done by one retired District Judge Bamdeb Majumder. None of these reports could establish the allegation of DM’s misconduct in the marriage halls and illegal detention of women and children for violation of the COVID-19 curfew.
