Afzal Imam and Kuldip Narayan

Patna, Nov. 22: The war within the Patna Municipal Corporation has gained steam with mayor Afzal Imam today filing a complaint petition at Patna civil court against municipal commissioner Kuldip Narayan for stealing several closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at the former’s office.

Incidentally, the cameras are in possession of Kotwali police station.

Imam, in his complaint filed in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM), alleged that a few unknown persons upon directives from Narayan and municipal secretary Aarti stole the CCTV cameras installed at his chamber in the PMC headquarters at Mauryalok Complex on October 12.

However, when The Telegraph enquired about the whereabouts of the cameras Kotwali police station, officers there said those were in their safe custody. Kotwali police station was handed over the cameras by the PMC officials on October 12 claiming “unidentified and unauthorised”.

“We have a station diary entry about the municipal commissioner informing us about four unauthorised CCTV cameras at the PMC premises on October 11. We had gone to the PMC headquarters the next day when we were handed over the cameras and it is still at the police station,” said an officer of Kotwali police station today requesting anonymity.

Mayor Imam, in his complaint, stated that he had made numerous requests in the past to Narayan and Aarti for installing CCTV cameras in his chamber for his personal safety but in vain. Finally, he installed the cameras on September 25-26. But upon the directions from the commissioner and secretary, some unknown persons stole the cameras from the complainant’s office on October 12.

However, Kotwali police station officers ruled out any possibility of theft. “We have a station diary entry on October 13 regarding mayor Imam informing about theft of his cameras. However, there cannot be any case of theft in this case as the municipal commissioner himself had informed us about the cameras. It was in our possession when Imam made the complaint,” said the police personnel.

Imam also put charges of defamation against Narayan and Aarti.

After hearing the petition, CJM Bharat Singh directed his office to send the complaint petition to Kotwali police station through senior superintendent of police for further action. The court said the facts, circumstances and nature of matter in the complaint petition is that of a police case.