Patna, May 5: The government today cracked the whip on the police administration and transferred as many as 17 IPS officers, the sweeping shuffle coming a day after chief minister Nitish Kumar faced intense public protests over the kidnapping of a prominent doctor and his businesswoman-wife from Gaya.
Unhappy over the kidnapping of Dr Pankaj Kumar Gupta and his wife Shubhra in broad daylight last Friday, the government issued marching orders to incumbent Gaya senior superintendent of police (SSP) P. Kannan. His place has been taken by Manu Maharaaj, at present the SSP of Darbhanga.
Nitish was greeted with black flags in Bodhgaya yesterday when he had gone to attend a special prayer to pay homage to those killed in the Nepal earthquake. Nitish had told the family members of the couple that the police were making "sincere efforts" to rescue the kidnapped persons. "It's a challenge for the state government," Nitish was quoted as having told the family.
The chief minister had earlier called director-general of police (DGP) P.K. Thakur and asked him to deploy "competent officers" to ensure the safe recovery of the couple. Subsequently, IG, CID, Vinay Kumar, who was the man behind the arrest of the kidnappers of Surat-based businessman Sohail Hingora, was deployed in Gaya and asked to monitor the police operations.
Piqued over the failure to recover the couple, doctors in Gaya took out a protest march today. The members of the Indian Medical Association's Gaya branch also set up a five-member core committee to decide their next course of action. The couple went missing while returning home from Giridih in their Audi car.
Outgoing Gaya SSP Kannan has been shifted to the police headquarters and posted as assistant in the office of inspector-general (inspection).
The government also shifted Patna zonal IG A.K. Ambedkar and placed him as IG (training), considered a lesser posting. IG (headquarters) Kundan Krishnan will assume charge as IG, Patna zone, his second stint in the post. Krishnan had earlier been moved out of the post by the Jitan Ram Manjhi government.
In a move that has set the tongues wagging in the police brass, additional director-general (headquarters) Gupteshwar Pandey has been transferred and made ADG, wireless and technical services. He would be replaced by Sunil Kumar, who was holding the post of ADG-cum-managing director of the Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation.
Sunil Kumar, who had earlier served as Patna SSP for about six years during the RJD rule, has been given additional charge of the special branch, also a key post. He has served as DIG (central range) and IG-Patna for a long time.
Jitendra Kumar, inspector-general, special vigilance unit, has been appointed special secretary in the home department, replacing Paresh Saxena, who has been made IG, home guard and fire services. ADG (law and order) Alok Raj has been asked to look after the post of ADG, CID. In addition, Arvind Pandey, ADG (weaker sections), will join as ADG, Bihar State Sports Authority. He will be replaced by Prita Verma, IG, BMP. Purnea SP A.K. Satyarthi will join as the SSP of Darbhanga.
