Guwahati, April 11: The association of IPS officers has extended support to arrested special superintendent of police of CID, N. Rajamarthandan, saying "action taken against him is disproportionately high and harsher than the usual response in such cases".
The IPS (Central) Association, in a letter addressed to Assam director-general of police Mukesh Sahay, said, "Rajamarthandan's arrest under unusual circumstances has caused dismay among members of the service across the country." It demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI.
The letter, signed by the association's secretary P.V. Rama Sastry, said since a senior officer of the state criminal investigation department (CID) was the complainant in the case against Rajamarthandan, principles of natural justice warrant that the investigation be entrusted to the CBI, which will be in a position to take a dispassionate view.
A case was registered against the CID SSP on charges of criminal conspiracy and forgery for giving away "confidential" information about the investigation into the Silapathar violence in response to an RTI query from Nikhil Bharat Bangali Udbastu Samanway Samitee general secretary Ambika Ray despite the CID being exempted from the purview of the RTI Act. The case was registered last Tuesday based on a complaint lodged by deputy inspector-general of CID Rounak Ali Hazarika.
The association, in its letter to the DGP, said since the allegations against Rajamarthandan do not indicate corruption, moral turpitude or heinous offence, Section 41A could have served the purpose. Under Section 41A of the CrPC, police can issue a notice directing a person, against whom a reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has been received or a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed a cognisable offence, to appear for examination.
"His cadre officers shared with us that the accused officer holds a reputation of being honest and hardworking," the letter said. Rajamarthandan is a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
Yesterday, Meghalaya RTI activist Agnes Kharshiing al so came out in defence of Rajamarthandan, describing him as an honest police officer. She said while serving in Meghalaya he had taken strong action against the coal mafia. Rajamarthandan has mostly ser-ved in Meghalaya in the past.
The association said, "We are constrained to observe that the present situation leaves us with the feeling that if such examples recur and slowly become a norm, it will put a question mark on our ability to handle the power of arrest and treatment of officers of the service, which will indeed be against the best interests of the service."
"When the matter comes before the court for hearing on bail, it may be ensured that the response is not a mechanical opposition but a well-considered and fair one, taking into consideration the law on bails which is against unnecessary incarceration in pre-trial custody," the letter said.
The letter added that the state could consider recommending inter-state transfer of the officer till the legal processes against him are completed or for a minimum period of three years.
