MHA likely to strip top Bengal cops of medals

The Union home ministry is expected to initiate disciplinary action, ranging from stripping off meritorious awards and removing the officers from the list of seniority, against five senior police officers of West Bengal, including the state police chief Virendra Kumar, on charges of participating in the dharna of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Apart from Mr Kumar, action is also expected against four other IPS officers : ADG- Security Vineet Kumar Goyal, ADG- Law and Order Anuj Sharma, Commissioner of Police ( Bidhan Nagar) Gyanwant Singh and additional commissioner of Kolkata police Supratim Sarkar.

In addition, the home ministry has already asked the West Bengal government to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar for participating in Ms Banerjee’s dharna claiming it to be a violation of All India Service Rules.

Sources claimed home ministry action against the five “delinquent’’ officers include withdrawing medals or decorations had been conferred on them for meritorious services as well as removing their names from Centre’s empanelled or seniority list. Centre may also ban these officers for a certain period from serving on a Central deputation.

In addition, the Centre is also planning to issue an advisory to all states to ensure that officers of uniformed forces strictly follow all service rules and maintain decorum.

The home ministry had on Tuesday asked the state government to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Rajeev Kumar on grounds of “indiscipline and violation of services rules.” Though sources claimed it was unlikely that the state government may initiate any action against any of the police officers. The ministry in its communication had claimed that every member of the service shall at all times maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty and shall do nothing which is unbecoming of a member of the service, no member of the service shall be a member of, or be otherwise associated with, any political party or any organisation which takes part in politics, nor shall he take part in, or subscribe in aid of, or assistant in any other manner, any political movement or political party.

◗ The MHA has already asked the Bengal government to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar for participating in Ms Banerjee’s dharna

— AP A vendor sells tea to students participating in a protest rally in New Delhi on Thursday. The ‘ Young India Adhikaar March’ was held to demand the government address the problem of unemployment.