Patna, June 8: The Katahara police in Vaishali district today registered the complaint of landless farmer Chhabila Paswan, nine days after he was turned away for his inability to pay a bribe.

The station house officer of Katahara outpost, Manoj Kumar Gupta, has also been placed under suspension on the orders of the Vaishali superintendent of police (SP).

The police swung into action following a report in The Telegraph on Friday that highlighted the plight of Paswan who begged for alms to collect the bribe amount allegedly demanded by the officer to register his complaint.

The 40-year-old farmer, who wanted help from the police against hoodlums bent on grabbing his land, collected Rs 1,000 by begging on the roads of his village in Vaishali on Monday with his wife and two sons. He then purchased postal orders for the amount and despatched them by speed post to the chief minister’s secretariat in Patna.

The missive also contained a request to Nitish Kumar to pay the amount to the officer, “if the law permits”, or deposit it in the welfare fund.

Sources in the chief minister’s secretariat today confirmed receipt of the letter.

The sources also said that director-general of police Abhayanand, under fire over the violence during the funeral procession of slain Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh “Mukhiya”, instructed the Vaishali superintendent of police to look into Paswan’s complaint.

The farmer, who lives in Halaiya, his village in Mahua sub-division of Vaishali district, today said he now hoped to get justice. “A police officer summoned me to the Mahua police station to get my statement recorded. I handed over to them the copy of the complaint which I had earlier submitted to the Katahara police,” he said. Paswan had gone to the outpost on May 30 but was turned away.

Vaishali superintendent of police Upendra Kumar Sinha has directed the Mahnar sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Rajesh Kumar, to inquire into the matter.“Complaints have been lodged from both sides,” Kumar said.

Sinha said Katahara station house officer Gupta had been put under suspension and depart- mental proceedings initiated against him.

“Instructions have been issued to conduct the proceedings within a month and submit a report,” the SP told The Telegraph.

Sinha said Gupta had been removed from the Katahara outpost and asked to report to the police lines with immediate effect.

Gupta has been replaced by Krishna Murari Singh as station house officer, he added.