Ghaziabad: The forest range officer of Ghaziabad has been transferred to Hapur “with immediate effect” after a video showed him handing a gun to the son of the Loni MLA and the youth firing in the air with it during a plantation drive. Ashok Gupta, the officer, had last week said the weapon was an air gun that belonged to Nagesh, the MLA’s son, and the youth had given it to him “for keeping it safe”. A preliminary inquiry conducted by the forest department has now found that the gun was actually a licenced pistol owned by Gupta. A senior forest officer said Gupta had been handed the transfer order on Saturday, asking him to join the Hapur office “within 24 hours”. On Sunday, he had taken his new charge. “A departmental inquiry will be conducted against Gupta soon,” the officer said.