Haridwar SSP dissolved the civil hospital police post which comes under Gangnahar Police Station following another incident of police releasing sand boa smugglers after taking bribe.
Another group of police personnel was sent to this post. Those who previously manned the post were suspended with immediate effect.
The Civil line Kotwali police had arrested snake smugglers -- Kuldeep, Aslam and Anand -- on July 16 and recovered `17.49 lakh from their possession.
During interrogation, one of the accused had expressed surprise over being arrested again despite having given as bribe `35, 000 to the civil hospital police post officers around a month ago. All the accused were sent to jail after being presented in the court.
Moreover, Haridwar SSP had set up an inquiry team headed by circle officer, Roorkee Kuldeep Aswal to probe the matter. The CO Aswal confirmed that the police post in-charge and four other policemen were involved in releasing the snake smugglers after receiving bribe of `35, 000 around a month ago.
Red-faced, SSP Sweety Aggarwal dissolved the police post and re-constituted it, bringing police personnel from other posts.
Those suspended were the police post in-charge Dhamendra Rathi and four policemen — Riyaz Ali, Arunj, Sushil and Mukesh Chauhan. A departmental inquiry would be held too.
Earlier in Dehradun, DGP BS Sidhu had dissolved Special Operation Group (SOG), formed to investigate the PG course admission controversy involving Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (HIHT), Jolly Grant. The SOG members had sought to downplay the matter by suppressing the amount they are supposed to have recovered from the swindlers, according to the probe report submitted.
Observers opine that it is unfortunate that a section of police is out to make quick bucks through wrong means. “They tend to pounce upon the common men with fierce energy when the smell a trifle while letting the hardened criminals off the hook for money. These are bad precedents and police top brass must act more responsibly to stop their recurrence,” said an observer.