The government on Friday removed Nalanda superintendent of police (SP) Vivekanand, ostensibly because of the tardy investigation of the rape of a minor in which absconding RJD legislator Raj Ballabh Prasad is an accused.

Vivekanand has been asked to report to police headquarters till further orders . Kumar Ashish, a 2012 batch IPS officer who was earlier posted as SP of Madhepura, will take charge of Nalanda, which is also the home district of chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Vivekanand's transfer was part of the shuffle of 21 IPS officers effected by the government on Friday.

Sources said Vivekanand, who belongs to the 2008 batch of the IPS, was eased out because of the Nalanda police's "unsatisfactory" role in investigating the rape that occurred on February 6. "The Nalanda police failed to act on the complaint and it was only after DIG (central) Shalin visited the district that action was initiated against the MLA," said a senior police officer who spoke under cover of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

While the RJD had acted swiftly and suspended Nawada MLA Raj Ballabh, Nitish Kumar too had reacted strongly earlier this week, stating that the law would catch up with the MLA sooner or later.

Sources told The Telegraph that with the new Nitish regime under fire over the crime spate, the government wanted to send out a strong message of zero tolerance against those who disturb law and order.

"The rape FIR was lodged on February 9 at the women's police station in Bihar Sharif. But the Nalanda police did not take necessary action. On February 13, four days later, DIG Shalin ordered the arrest of the MLA, who had by then gone into hiding. The investigation gained steam only after the intervention of senior officers," the senior police officer told The Telegraph.

Other transfers

Vikas Kumar, at present the SP (SSG) under the special branch, will take over from Kumar Ashish in Madhepura.

DIG (Magadh range) Ratan Sanjay has been promoted as IG, special vigilance unit, with additional charge of IG (security) at the special branch.

Awdhesh Kumar Sharma, a 1998 batch officer serving as DIG BMP (northern zone) in Muzaffarpur, has been promoted as IG (modernisation).

DIG (Tirhut range) Pradeep Kumar Shrivastava will be the IG (technical services and wireless).

Another 1998 batch officer, Umashankar Sudhanshu, who was serving as DIG (Darbhanga range), has been made IG (state human rights commission). Saharsa SP Vinod Kumar has been promoted as DIG (Darbhanga range).

BMP-14 commandant Ashwini Kumar will be the next SP of Saharsa.

Asgar Iman, who was serving as DIG (human rights and legal matters), has been shifted as DIG (Tirhut range) with additional charge of DIG BMP (northern zone).

Munger SP Varun Kumar Sinha has been promoted as DIG (Bhagalpur range) with additional charge of Munger. Ashish Bharti will be the new SP of Munger. Chandrika Prasad, a 2002 batch officer, will be the DIG (Kosi range).