Ranchi, 8 July
IAS officer Syed Riaz Ahmed, who was arrested for sexually assaulting a trainee IITian, was suspended by the Jharkhand government on Friday.
Khunti Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ahmed was arrested on Tuesday and sent to judicial custody for two weeks after the engineering student filed a police complaint against him.
A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said, “Chief Minister Hemant Soren has directed the suspension of Syed Riyaz Ahmed, posted as SDM Khunti. The SDM was accused of sexual harassment.”
Police said Ahmed faces charges under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage woman’s modesty), 354A (sexual assault) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult woman’s modesty) .
A court on July 5 sent the officer to judicial custody for 14 days.
According to officials, eight engineering students of an IIT, including the victim, had come to Khunti from outside the state for training.
They attended the dinner organized at the Deputy Development Commissioner’s residence on Saturday.
In a statement, the victim told the police that when the SDM found her alone in the party, he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
The police prima facie found the allegation to be true when Ahmed and some of the guests who had attended the party were questioned.