29 police officers suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government in the last four years
30 Apr, 2013Reply to an application filed by RTI activist Nutan Thakur has revealed that 29 police officers have been suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government in the last four years between January 1, 2009 and February 13, 2013. A breakup of the figure shows that these 29 included five from Indian Police Service (IPS) and from 24 Provincial Police Services (PPS). The reply further states that none of the suspended cops have been found guilty till now.
The RTI activist has claimed that though as per the law, the officers can be suspended only when serious departmental action is contemplated against them, the RTI reply indicates that senior police officers are suspended on the whims and fancies of the powerful politicians in UP.
The IPS officers who have been suspended include:
- Ajay Kumar Mishra (May 24, 2009), SSP Etawah,
- JN Singh (April 26, 2011), deputy inspector general (DIG) Meerut,
- DK Rai (June 14, 2011), SP Kheri,
- OP Sagar (26 June 26, 2012) SP Pratapgarh, and
- RP Chaturvedi (December 1, 2012), SP Jalaun.
The RTI eply shows that Ajay Kumar Mishra remained suspended for nearly 15 months and the departmental inquiry gave him a clean chit.JN Singh was reinstated within two months and no formal chargesheet was filed against him. Investigations are still in process in case of the rest of the officers.
Out of the 24 suspended PPS officers, eight are additional SPs rank personnel while 16 are deputy SPs. In 14 cases, the investigations are pending while in 10 cases, the officers were given a clean chit. Those additional SPs not found guilty include Kushhar, KK Asthana, Ashok Kumar Verma and BN Tiwari. The deputy SPs not found guilty include Zalim Singh, Ashok Kumar Singh, Ram Shankar Dwivedi, Santosh Kumar Singh and Mukul Dwivedi.