The Centre on Thursday asked Bengal to discipline five senior IPS officers who it says participated in chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s dharna against Sunday’s CBI raid on Calcutta police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, setting the stage for another showdown.
Responding to questions on a similar allegation against Kumar, Mamata had on Tuesday said he had been at her dharna venue not to participate but to do his “duty” because she was running the government from there.
Sources said the Centre was also considering withdrawing the police medals conferred on the “delinquent” five: state police chief Virendra, ADG (security) Vineet Kumar Goel, ADG (law and order) Anuj Sharma, Bidhannagar commissioner Gyanwant Singh, and additional commissioner Supratim Sarkar.
“Besides, the government is likely to temporarily bar them from serving in the central government on deputation,” a home ministry official said.
Many IPS officers apply to go on central deputation, seeing in it a better career option or an escape from the political interference they might be facing in the state.
The Union home ministry claims to have already written to the Bengal government on Tuesday to start proceedings against Kumar for “indiscipline” and for violating service rules by allegedly sitting on a dharna with Mamata.
Saying the government hadn’t received any such letter, Mamata had told reporters: “He (Kumar) never sat on the dais or joined the dharna. He was doing his duty as I was here, running the government from here.”
She said Kumar was at “the police outpost there… taking care of my security and taking instructions”.
Sources said the Centre had sent its latest letter to Bengal after examining governor Keshari Nath Tripathi’s report on Sunday night’s standoff, which witnessed the Calcutta police detaining the CBI team that had come to Kumar’s residence.
Media images have shown Kumar and several other senior officers sitting with Mamata at the dharna venue in Calcutta on Sunday night. The dais wasn’t up yet.
Home ministry sources said the officers had prima facie violated Sections 3(1), 5(1) and 7 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules 1968.
Rule 3(1) warns service members not to do anything “unbecoming”; Rule 5(1) asks them to stay away from politics and political parties; while Rule 7 bars them from publicly criticising government policies or actions.
The Centre is likely to issue an advisory to all states and Union territories “to ensure that officers of uniformed services adhere to service conduct rules and maintain decorum”.
