Madhya Pradesh official rides on elderly man's back to cross flooded drain, suspended

A patwari in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district was suspended after a video showed an elderly man carrying him across a waterlogged drain during a field visit. The clip sparked criticism locally and prompted an inquiry by senior officials.

In Short

• Incident occurred during field survey in Sidhi's Mata Gram Panchayat
• Official avoided wet shoes, asked to be carried across waterlogged drain
• Video showing patwari on 65-year-old's shoulders went viral on social media

A revenue official in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district has been suspended after a video purportedly showed him riding on the shoulders of an elderly man to cross a waterlogged drain during a field visit. The incident took place in the Mata Gram Panchayat area, where patwari Nilesh Namdev had gone to conduct a field survey, officials said.

The around 45-second video, which has gone viral on social media, shows Namdev sitting on the back of around 65-year-old Lalva Kewat while crossing the water-filled stretch.

According to officials, Namdev had gone to Kewat's village to inspect his house and farmland as part of an assessment of damage caused by wild animals.

Kewat's house is located across a small river or drain. When Namdev reached the waterlogged stretch, he allegedly did not want to get his shoes wet and told the elderly man that he would be able to carry out the survey only if he was taken across. Kewat then carried the patwari on his back to help him cross the water.

A local resident recorded the incident, and the video subsequently surfaced on social media, triggering criticism of the official's conduct.

COLLECTOR ORDERS SUSPENSION

After the video came to light, senior officials ordered an inquiry into the incident. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Priya Pathak said the inquiry was conducted after the video emerged and Namdev was suspended with immediate effect.

The incident has also drawn criticism from local residents, with villagers questioning the conduct of the revenue official during an official field visit.

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