UP top cop removed from post over inaction, neglecting work
LAST MONTH, GOEL WAS ABSENT AT A KEY MEETING CHAIRED BY CHIEF MINISTER YOGI ADITYANATH OVER THE LAW AND ORDER SITUATION
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday shunted out director general of police Mukul Goel citing inaction, days after the state’s topmost police officer failed to turn up for a meeting called by the chief minister.
Goel, transferred as the director general of Civil Defence, was removed for disregarding government work and showing a lack of interest in department affairs, officials from the state’s home department said, asking not to be named.
Additional director general (ADG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar has been given the DGP’s charge.
Goel is a 1987-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the UP cadre and was appointed as the director general on June 1, 2021.
He was previously posted in the Border Security Force (BSF).
It was not immediately clear who will replace Goel. Three IPS officers of the 1988 batch — Director General Intelligence,
DS Chauhan; Director General Police Recruitment and Promotion Board RK Vishwakarma, and Director General Prison Anand Kumar are among frontrunners, according to people aware of the matter.
Last month, Goel was absent at a key meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath over the law and order situation in the state, said a person privy to the development. Since then, Adityanath was believed to be unhappy with Goel, this person added.
The person quoted above said Goel was not at team meetings and during important departmental presentations like that of the home department, to which he was not invited.
His general staff officer (GSO) Ravi Joseph Lokku was also removed without his consent, the person said.
Goel was unavailable for a comment.
“Goel was earlier suspended over allegations about irregularities in police recruitment during the Samajwadi Party regime in 2007,” said a second official aware of the matter.
A public interest litigation is pending in connection with the police recruitment scam, said the person.