With a month to go for his retirement, DGP Sulkhan Singh took to ‘political policing’ directing his colleagues to remove all police station in-charges posted during Samajwadi Party regime, who were continuing on their posts. The circular was issued on August 1 and now his office has sought details of the compliance last Tuesday.
Shunting out cops on totally `political’ ground overlooking their credentials and merit is an unpredented thing in UP Police. While the unwritten and undeclared code has been to remove officers posted during one regime an replace them by favpurites of the successive reegime, none of the previous top cops openly made such move.
Some former top UP Police officers maintained that the DGP’s direction could be appease the powers-that-be which could lead to a six-month extension to Singh on the top post.
Sources said that DGP issued a circular to all zonal ADGs and IGs asking them to remove all station house officers, station officers, senior sub-inspector (second officer) and also police outpost in-charges posted on March 20, 2017 - the day BJP came to power.
Similarly all those head constables and constables who completed one year or more in a police station (read since SP was in power) on July 1 this year, be also removed immediately.
Sources said that to ensure that the cops posted during SP regime could not manage officers and continue to remain on same posts, the DGP made clear directives that in case decision of not disturbing any officer had to be taken then it be made after taking consent of his office.
Interestingly, Zonal ADGs and IGs have been provided points and asked to send compliance report (undertaking) on the same day of the DGP’s reminder last Tuesday. The details of compliance report send by the officers was not immediately available.