Saturday, March 11 2006 15:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Lucknow: Under attack from the opposition, Uttar Pradesh Government today(Mar 11,2006) transferred Varanasi police Chief Navneet Sikera, who was away from the temple town when it was rocked by the twin blasts on Tuesday.

Principal Secretary, Home, Alok Sinha said that Sikera had been replaced by Senior Superintendent of Police Moradabad, G K Goswami.

Sikera had been attached to the office of the Director General of Police here.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Mau, Sujit Pandey would be the new District Police Chief of Moradabad.

Sikera as also the District Magistrate of Varanasi Nitin R Gokarn, were not present in the city on the night of the blasts.

While Sikera and his deputy SP (City) Anant Dev were away attending a marriage at Saifai, ancestral village of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Gokarn was on leave.

The matter of their absence was raised in the Vidhan Sabha by the opposition parties, which termed it as 'irresponsible'.

PTI

lucknow,uttar pradesh, government, varanasi, police chief, navneet sikera, tuesday, principal secretary, home, alok sinha, moradabad, g k goswami, sujit pandey, nitin r gokarn, anant dev, mulayam singh yadav, vidhan sabha,