Your acts bringing bad name to police, J&K DGP warns IG
CONTROVERSIAL IG (traffic) Basant Rath is under fire for ‘rude behaviour’ with motorists and making ‘derogatory remarks’ online
JAMMU: The director general of Jammu and Kashmir Police SP Vaid has warned inspector general of police (traffic) Basant Rath to mend his ways and stop damaging people’s property. He also asked him to wear police uniform while discharging his duties.
Basant Rath, who took over as IGP Traffic on February 9, has been courting criticism for his alleged rude behaviour with the motorists. He had also uploaded some comments on his Twitter account for the two-wheeler riders, which were derogatory in nature.
Vaid said, “I told him that he should not break people’s property and wear police uniform.”
The DGP’S official communiqué dated February 22 to the IGP and principal secretary home department reads, “A number of videos, posts and pictures are being circulated on social media in which you are seen moving in civvies on the roads doing strange activities unwarranted of a police officer. Other videos uploaded by some commuters allege manhandling, using of abusive language and damage to their property like cell phones, helmets, spectacles and vehicles.”
It further reads, “These acts are not only illegal, they are unbecoming of a police officer. The J&K Motor Vehicles Act 1988 clearly states that no officer shall do any checking of any vehicle without proper uniform. These acts of yours are bringing disrepute and bad name to the police organisation. You are hereby advised and warned to refrain from such acts in future. You shall always remain in proper uniform while discharging official duties as mandated in law and police rules.”
RAGE ON TWITTER
Prior to DGP’S communiqué to Basant Rath, ADG of criminal investigation department, Abdul Gani Mir in a letter to the DGP had informed that Basant Rath was “increasingly” posting content regarding day-to-day functioning, and plans as a supervisory officer of traffic police in Jammu and Kashmir, on his Facebook and Twitter handle.
The letter of the ADGP had also cited some of the tweets posted by Basant Rath.
Three of them were “Friends, a helmet is like a condom. It protects you only when you wear it properly” and “Friends, some cops are immune to the threat of transfer. I’m one of them. My beautiful middle finger to the power drunk middlemen. Yesh” and “My Dear Senior, who thinks I’m all gas on Facebook and Twitter and no guts on the streets. Please ask your PSOS to drive their bikes without wearing helmets. I’ll ruin their day. And yours. I don’t think I love you.”