3 cops suspended for ‘supporting’ accused

LUCKNOW/VARANASI: In an open act of defiance, some constables of various police stations in Lucknow observed ‘Black Day’ on Friday, tying black ribbons on their arms in support of their colleagues Prashant Chaudhary and Sandeep Kumar Rana, who are accused in the murder of local IT executive Vivek Tiwari.

Tiwari was shot dead in his SUV in Gomti Nagar past midnight on September 29 while he was on his way to drop a former colleague, Sana Khan, home. He was stopped by the constables but apparently kept driving and allegedly took a bullet during the mix-up.

Taking a stern view of the black-ribbon protest, the police suspended three constables of Naka, Gudamba and Aliganj police stations for allegedly instigating other policemen, and transferred three station house officers for laxity in duty.

Two terminated constables, Brijendra Yadav and Avinash Pathak, were also arrested from Varanasi and Mirzapur for instigating constables to hold protests, police said.

Top officials, including the chief secretary, principal secretary to the CM, principal secretary (home) and the DGP briefed chief minister Yogi Adityanath about the situation and action taken against the policemen.

Photographs of constables wearing black ribbons on their arms in support of Chaudhary and Rana were circulated on social media. Sources said at least 30 constables who protested had been identified from the photos.

DIG Praveen Kumar said some of the constables rejoined duty after getting their photos clicked wearing black ribbons. A senior police official, who did not want to be named, said most of protestors were of the 2015-16 batch.

A DGP headquarters’ communiqué said senior officials had received information that the black ribbon protest had been on social media for the last two days.

“Preliminary inquiry has revealed that some of the photographs are morphed. Some other photographs are of a two-year old protest by constables against their salary discrepancies,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, senior police officers, including DGP OP Singh and ADG (law and order) Anand Kumar held a meeting to take stock of the situation.