With law and order deteriorating with every passing day and the State also witnessed one of the worst ever communal violence claiming lives of 49 persons, government finally served marching order to ADG (law and order) Arun Kumar, on hursday afternoon.
He was the second officer, after Subash Chandra Dubey (suspended and facing departmental enquiry in the riots) who was punished for Muzaffarnagar riots.However, Arun Kumar was replaced by a more controversial officer of 1987 batch, Mukul Goel, earlier accused for large scale irregularities in recruitment scam during the last regimes of Samajwadi Government led by Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mayawati government which initiated the probe in the matter not only lodged a case
against Goel but also issued his suspension order but he managed to save his skin as he already slipped on Central Deputation before the probe in the matter could take off. Known to be a blue-eyed boy of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Goel got a big relief when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government not only just refused to take any action against Goel but also returned the Suspension order which was later pushed under the carpet. Now with Samajwadi Party government back in power, all action taken by Mayawati has been withdrawn.
Mukul Goel, who was till now posted as ADG (Government Railway Police) since his promotion to ADG rank just a month back, claimed just after joining as ADG (law and order) that his priorities will be to make policing more effective particularly in rural areas. When asked about growing pressure of politicians and bureaucrats, Goel said that this was not knew but the officers should do only what if fair and true. He admitted that law and order conditions in Western UP is a challenge but claimed that he will improve the things.
It may be mentioned here that Arun Kumar, was given the task as ADG (law and order) for improving the law and order situation in the State in November last year when the then ADG, Jagmohan Yadav was removed in wake of communal riots in Faizabad. However, Arun Kumar failed to make any noticeable impact particularly after he also lost faith amongst his sub-ordinates for failing to defend them when they were punished for complying his own orders.
like in Gonda when than district police chief Navniet Rana do the sting of the gang involved in slaughtering and smuggling of cattle on instructions of Arun Kumar, he was removed by the government as the sting revealed that the gang was run under the patronage of Samajwadi Party leader enjoying minister of state status. Interesting when Rana was shunted out, and the SP leader also go scot free, Arun Kumar who himself revealed of his (SP leader) involvement after calling a press conference here at DGP office remained tight lipped and later no legal action has been taken in that matter.
Recently in Muzaffarnagar case also, he not stood behind Manjil Saini, even after knowing that she was shunted out from the district just as she took action against the accused involved in killing two youths of August 27 last. Similarly, Subash Chandra Dubey was also his choice for SSP Muzaffarnagar post, but he (Dubey) was the only officer who was so far punished by the government by suspending him for the riots even when he was posted just a week back, but once again Arun Kumar not intervened. Not only this, when the Western UP was burning, he not cancelled his leave even when he was posted on one the most important post responsible for maintain law and order, and preferred to proceed on a religious visit. Surprisingly, the
Government also not cancelled his leave. However, finally Arun Kumar, who joined back on duty on last Monday faced simplest of the action for his failure to maintain law and order when he was just transferred from the post and attached with the DGP office. He had already submitted his application showing his desire to once again proceed on central deputation.