Following the directions of lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung, senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer JK Sharma of the 1982 batch, has surrendered the additional charge of Director General (DG) Prisons, since his appointment was not approved by the competent authority.
Sharma, who currently is posted as DG Home Guards and Civil Defence, was asked to take over as DG Prisons till further orders by the Delhi Government on Tuesday.
Sharma took charge as DG (Tihar) just for an hour and later surrendered the post. Unfazed Sharma has expressed eagerness to head the prisons after proper order is issued by Jung. The situation arouse due to the ongoing confrontation between the l-G and the AAP Government.
Top sources told The Pioneer that Raj Niwas was not happy with the appointment of Sharma as DG (Tihar) as the Arvind Kejriwal Government did not take a prior approval from the l-G’s office. Just after Sharma took the charge of DG Tihar, Raj Niwas called him and advised to surrender the charge, saying the l-G might declare the appointment as null and void.
Sharma immediately after the call sent a letter to Principal Secretary (Home) SN Sahai stating that the “order has not been issued with the approval of competent authority” so he will not be able carry on with the charge of Tihar Jail, sources said. Sharma also wrote, “I took over the charge of Director General (Prisons) in addition to my duties as DG (Home Guards) but since the order referred above has not been issued with the approval of competent authority, hence the charge taken over by undersigned (him) is hereby returned to the earlier officer who was holding the charge. It is further informed that I will be happy to resume the charge on approval of competent authority.”
According to sources, Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain had directed to assign Sharma as additional charge of DG (Tihar) on Tuesday. After that, the Home Department issued an order to give Sharma an additional charge of prisons without taking an approval from the l-G. The order was issued on Tuesday afternoon by the AAP Government and the 1982-batch IPS officer Sharma happily took the charge of DG Tihar prison, which was lying vacant for the last one half month after Alok Kumar Verma appointed as the Commissioner of Police on February 29.
Sharma, who is considered to be close confidant of the Delhi Police chief, has expressed to return to the Delhi Police as Special Commissioner of Police (Administration) and if can’t then as DG Tihar. At present, IPS officer Deepak Mishra is holding the post of Special Commissioner of Police (Administration) and is to join as Additional Director General in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The post will fall vacant by next week.
Sharma was also looking for the top post in the Delhi Police last year but as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had investigated him in a corruption case long ago, his doors to become the Delhi top cop was virtually shut down.