Now, Vij pushes for CID chief Rao’s ouster
CHANDIGARH: Escalating the ongoing row over the control of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the intelligence arm of the state police, Haryana home minister Anil Vij has sought the removal of CID chief Anil Kumar Rao — an additional director general of police -rank officer — on grounds of inefficiency, it is learnt.
Vij has also recommended the name of Shrikant Jadhav, an IPS officer, who was placed under suspension by the BJP government for negligence during the 2016 Jat quota violence, as Rao’s replacement.
Jadhav was posted as Rohtak inspector general when the agitation took place in 2016. He was later reinstated in May 2016 on technical grounds as the state government could not file a chargesheet against him within the fresh time limit of 30 days.
MINISTER ACCUSES CID CHIEF OF DISOBEDIENCE
Vij, in a recent series of communications to the additional chief secretary, home, has also sought initiation of disciplinary proceedings against Anil Rao for his alleged disobedience in not providing him with regular intelligence inputs crucial for preparing the law and order apparatus beforehand. Both the issues — Rao’s removal and disciplinary action against him — will be decided by chief minister Manohar
Lal Khattar. Officials, however, said Vij’s recommendations are unlikely to find favour with the CM.
CID sources said Vij’s actions were unjustified as the department was providing intelligence reports to the minister every day. “An officer of the CID makes a personal appearance to brief the home minister whenever there are important or urgent pieces of information requiring his attention. Where is the question of non disobedience and not briefing the minister,’’ said an official.
Vij, in his communication, has said the CID chief be removed as his inefficiency may harm the state big time. “Apparently, the minister wants that the CID boss should make a personal appearance everyday and share all kinds of intelligence with him, including political and the one pertaining to other departments,” said an official. “The arguments rendered by minister seem flimsy and out of line. The CID chief has met him on several occasions and there has been times when the minister did not find time for him,’’ he added.
VIJ PICK WAS INDICTED BY PRAKASH PANEL
Shrikant Jadhav was indicted by the Prakash Singh Committee which probed the role of civil and police officers during the Jat quota agitation.
Jadhav as IG (crime) was also indicted of making unauthorised interception of phones in two separate probes of 2014 by the then joint commissioner of police, crime, Gurgaon, Vivek Sharma, and then Hisar IG Haneef Qureshi.
The probe established that Supreme Court guidelines and standard operating procedure for phone-tapping were violated.
“By not obtaining prior approval of the authorised officers, the then IG, Crime has indulged in illegal and unauthorised phone-tapping,’’ reads a home department file noting. In response to a question in 2016, Jadhav had told HT: “This inquiry, whether it was conducted or not, is not in my knowledge. Therefore I cannot comment.”
ALSO PUSHES FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST HIM, MATTER TO BE DECIDED BY CM KHATTAR