Bhagalpur, July 31: The district police have decided to initiate departmental proceedings against 25 policemen who were under scanner for their alleged high-handedness in their investigation in the 1989 Bhagalpur riots case.

Sanjay Singh, the senior superintendent of police, Bhagalpur, who has already initiated action against the 25 policemen who were earlier made investigation officers.

“The officers, during their investigations, allegedly found the cases to be false and baseless. On their recommendations, 25 cases were closed. However, on the state government’s decision, the cases were reopened and all 25 cases were found to be valid. Even the accused involved in the cases were prosecuted. After we studied the case history, the documents suggested negligence on the part of the investigating officers,” he told reporters here today.

Sources said during the review of the cases related to the 1989 riots, the deputy inspector-general of police, Bhagalpur zone, Amit Kumar Jain, found gross irregularities on the part of the investigating officers.

“It seems to be a conspiracy or some negligence conducted deliberately (by the investigating officers) just to favour the accused. They also downplayed the merit of the cases,” the source said.

Last year, Jain, through then Bhagalpur superintendent of police Bacchu Singh Meena, had sent showcause notices to these 25 policemen, including 13 sub-inspectors and 12 assistant sub-inspectors. However, none of them turned up before the SP for any clarification.

None of the 25 policemen was available for comment.