The Bihar government has transferred Khagaria Superintendent of Police Bhanu Pratap Singh with immediate effect, directing him to report to the police headquarters in Patna amid serious allegations of domestic cruelty, physical assault, and unlawful confinement leveled by his wife, Pooja Singh. The Home Department issued an official notification on Wednesday removing the 2021-batch IPS officer from his post in Khagaria, naming Sheohar SP Shailendra Singh as the district’s new police chief. While the government notification does not cite the marital dispute as the official basis for the administrative action, the decision follows days of mounting public attention and multiple representations made by the officer’s wife before administrative and statutory bodies across the state capital.
Marital Discord Follows Civil Services Selection
According to details shared by the complainant, Bhanu Pratap Singh and Pooja Singh entered into a love marriage on January 16, 2016, at a time when he was preparing for the Union Public Service Commission examinations. Pooja alleged that distances began emerging in their marital life following his selection into the Indian Police Service. The couple has a six-year-old daughter, Vibha Singh. Pooja stated that she has been deliberately kept apart from both her husband and her daughter, claiming that she has been denied access to the young child for a prolonged period. The discord spilled into the public domain when Pooja visited the official residence of the Khagaria SP, demanding to meet her daughter. After failing to secure an audience, she staged a protest outside the premises before traveling to Patna, where she approached the official residence of the Chief Minister to seek intervention.
Formal Police Complaint and Allegations of Coercion
The matter escalated on the night of November 2, when Pooja visited the Patna Women Police Station and submitted a detailed written complaint against her husband and several in-laws. Her petition accused the IPS officer of sustained physical and mental harassment over an extended duration. She further leveled allegations against her father-in-law and brother-in-law, accusing them of forcibly separating her from her six-year-old daughter and keeping the child in wrongful custody. Pooja alleged that she was being coerced into signing divorce papers against her wishes. She maintained that she does not seek a formal separation, asserting instead that she wishes to preserve her family and live with her husband and child. Prior to the formal police filing, she had lodged complaints with the Director General of Police and the Bihar State Commission for Women, which subsequently initiated proceedings and issued a summons to Bhanu Pratap Singh.
Administrative Reshuffle Across Bihar Police Ranks
Alongside the transfer of the Khagaria police chief, the Home Department announced a broader reshuffle within the police administration. Muzaffarpur City SP Md. Mohibullah Ansari has been elevated to the position of Superintendent of Police for Sheohar district. Aprajit, an IPS officer of the 2020 batch, has been appointed as Aide-de-Camp to the Governor within the Governor Secretariat. Furthermore, recently promoted IPS officer Kumari Mamta Kalyani has been given additional charge as Commandant of the Bihar Special Armed Police-16 in Patna. All transferred officers have been instructed to assume their new postings immediately. Legal authorities indicated that a comprehensive factual position regarding the allegations against Bhanu Pratap Singh will emerge once the formal inquiry is completed and statements from all concerned parties are officially recorded.
