The Kotwali police in Khandwa district lodged a non-cognizable report (NCR) against BJP MLA Devendra Verma for allegedly abusing district forest officer S K Singh at a review meeting on Wednesday.
The report has been lodged under Sections 189 (threat or injury to public servant) and 500 (defamation) and 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) against the legislator on a complaint submitted by the forest officer, police said.
The alleged incident happened in the middle of a review meeting of different departments, where BJP legislator Verma was also present. At the meeting, the MLA asked the forest officer why saplings planted recently were dying. The officer replied that owing to lack of funds some measures like deploying chowkidars to guard the saplings couldn’t be taken.
Infuriated by the officer’s response, Verma used abusive words and threatened to beat the officer with shoes.
When contacted by journalists after the meeting, SK Singh confirmed the incident and said he would report the matter to his superiors.
However, the Khandwa MLA denied the forest officer’s allegations about use of abusive words and instead claimed that he only had a heated discussion with the officer.
