After surfacing of a notice for recovery of Rs10,000 handed over to family members of SPO Kishor Pandey who was killed in a Naxal attack, Chief Minister Raman Singh on Wednesday directed to suspend the Reserve Inspector (RI) Neelesh Dwivedi who had sent the recovery notice. The Chief Minister also asked to issue show-cause notice to Superintendent of Police Gariaband, Abhishek Pathak in this connection.
Singh while condemning the matter of issuing of notice to the martyr's family for recovery of money spent on funeral rites said that sending recovery notice to martyr's family shows insensitive attitude, which will not be tolerated at any cost. The Chief Minister expressed strong displeasure on such act and instructed Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand to immediately suspend the Reserve Inspector, who had sent recovery notice, and to issue show-cause notice to SP Gariaband in this matter.
Acting on the Chief Minister’s direction, the Police Department suspended Reserve Inspector Neelesh Dwivedi. Notably, Kishor Pandey was martyred in 2011 while fighting against Naxals in Odisha. For performing last rites of Kishor Pandey, Rs10,000 was provided by police. Notice for recovery of the amount was served to Kishor’s family on April 4, 2015 by the Reserve Inspector Dwivedi.
As per the notice, the money was given from Welfare Fund and for adjusting the amount Rs10,000 had to be submitted by the family members of the deceased. Meanwhile, SP Gariaband Abhishek Pathak told media persons that this was a well defined procedure and there was nothing disrespectful.