An FIR has been lodged against a police officer for alleged dereliction of duty on the order of district magistrate Narmadeshwar Lal.

The complaint against Srinath Singh, the former station house officer of Bihpur police station, was lodged on Tuesday evening at the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe police station in Bhagalpur. If convicted, Singh could be sentenced to a jail term of up to six years.

Singh, a sub-inspector-rank officer, had allegedly failed to invoke the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Atrocity Prevention Act while lodging an FIR in the murder case of a man from a backward community.

District welfare officer Lallan Kumar Singh said: “On May 19, 2011, a group of men allegedly killed Bindo Kumar Ram, an LIC agent, in the presence of his wife and, children at his home under the jurisdiction of Bihpur police station. Sub-inspector Srinath Singh lodged an FIR under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (case no. 145/2011). All the accused persons were from upper castes but Singh failed to invoke the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Atrocity Prevention Act.”

He added: “The district magistrate conducted a review meeting last evening (on Tuesday) regarding the prevention of atrocities against members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He ordered to lodge an FIR against the erring officer, who failed to recommend the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Atrocity Prevention Act that is mandatory in such cases.”

An officer at the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe police station on Wednesday told The Telegraph: “The officer was transferred from the Bihpur police station. We don’t know where he is posted at present. We are trying to locate him.”

Senior police officers of Naugachia, however, have a different take. Naugachia deputy superintendent of police Sanjay Bharti told The Telegraph: “Singh is at present posted as in-charge of Dholbajja police station.”

He added: “Singh may have made the mistake while registering the case because two of the accused were from Scheduled Castes. While reviewing the case, I alerted him about it and it was included when the case was taken to Naugachia sessions court.”