Ghaziabad official threatens civic body chief with pistol

Ghaziabad, May 22 (IANS) The tussle between Ghaziabad's Khoda Municipality chairperson and its Executive Officer turned ugly on Tuesday when the chairperson and her representative sought to inspect some files but the official refused, and allegedly threatened them with a pistol, police said.

Both parties have lodged complaints with police against each other. 

Executive Officer K.K. Bhadana, in his complaint, said that Yogesh Bhati, who is the brother-in -law of Chairperson Reena Bhati, barged in to his office when he was attending a meeting in the District Magistrate's office. 

Informed over phone that Yogesh Bhati wanted to take files, he said returned to office and tried to convince him not to take files, but the representative remained adamant and subsequently police was called and a complaint submitted seeking filing of a criminal case against the persons who entered his office without permission. 

On the other hand, Yogesh Bhati, in his complaint, alleged that Bhadana, who has been some time in the post, is corrupt and was trying to cover up his misdeeds. As the state's BJP government wants to expose the corrupt practices of officers during the previous Samajwadi Party's rule, he wanted these files to show the official's guilt, but Bhadana took out the weapon to threaten them.

He said that not only was the weapon visible in the office's CCTV footage but it was brandished when a police officer was also sitting in the office. 

Superintendent of Police, City, Akash Tomar said that complaints had been received from both sides.

"Our men are inquiring the matter, afterward legal action will be initiated," he said.