Although no FIR has been lodged in the ST, SC Police Station on complaint of Opposition leader Hemant Soren against ADG Anurag Gupta, police on Monday said they have begun “inquiry” in the alleged racist remarks made by Gupta as per the complaint.
An audio clip allegedly containing telephonic conversation between the ADG and MlA Yogender Sao, made the basis of the complaint filed at the police station on Sunday.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha worker, demanding dismissal of Gupta and resignation of Chief Minister Raghubar Das on moral ground, burnt their effigies at Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi on Monday.
“FIR has not been lodged so far......but an inquiry has been initiated in this regard on the basis of the complaint lodged by the former Chief Minister,” said a police official requesting anonymity.
Experts on the other hand, claimed that it was an illegality on the part of the police officials that they refused to take the FIR. According to a senior counsel, the police did more harm to the Government or the ADG by not taking the FIR, than they could have done it by taking it.
Soren, in his two page complaint lodged with ST/SC Police Station in Ranchi on Sunday, has cited media reports and excerpts of the audio and video clips telecast on electronic media, which were originally released by JVM-P Chief Babulal Marandi regarding the conversation which took place between Gupta and former Congress Minister Yogendra Sao ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls.
Soren pointed out that the remarks made by Gupta were not just personal but targets entire tribal community and was derogatory in every sense. Soren claimed that that sentiment of tribal community was hurt because of such language used by none other than the senior police officer of ADG rank causing a resentment among the community.
Soren further said that those racial remarks against him also proved that the officer misused his power and influence to ensure defeat of the contending tribal candidate. He insisted Officer in Charge to lodge FIR against ADG under sections 166/153A of IPC along with invoking provisions of section 3i (s,t,u) of SC/ST Atrocities Act (Amended in 2015).
He also blamed Gupta of misusing the power vested upon him to ensure the defeat of tribal candidates in RS elections.