Bhubaneswar, May 31: The state government’s proposal to recruit 5,000 constables coincided with the shunting of deputy inspector-general (DIG), Biju Patnaik Police Academy, Arun Kumar Upadhyay, who has been made an “officer without duty”.
Upadhyay alleged that he was moved out as the higher-ups in the department felt that he might raise objections to the recruitment process. According to the existing provision, Upadhyay had to be accommodated in the recruitment board as he was the DIG. The proposed recruitments have already received the government’s nod.
A 1976 batch IPS officer, Upadhyay has been asked to report to the police headquarters in Cuttack. Upadhyay, incidentally, happens to be a batchmate of director-general of police (DGP) Manmohan Praharaj. He was moved during the shake-up in the police department on May 23.
Protesting against his transfer, Upadhyay has sent a letter to Praharaj stating that he was being victimised for raising issues related to the constable recruitment scam of 2003.
In his letter, Upadhyay said: “The mistrust of the DGP on me is unfounded and as his batchmate, I reassure him that I will not object to any recruitment suggested by him and will sign on the dotted line as per his desire.”
Reacting to the development, home secretary U.N. Behera said: “I heard that Upadhyay has sent a letter. But I have not received it yet. Let the letter come, we will go through it.”
The senior police officer also sought to rake up the 2003 constable recruitment scam by questioning the role of another IPS officer.
He said: “The trust of the DGP and the recruitment lobby on the IPS officer (who had investigated the 2003 scam) is fully justified” as he had successfully hushed up all cases of the recruitment scam of 2,000 constables in 2003.
On March 30, 2003, the state government had ordered a vigilance inquiry into complaints about the recruitment of 2,000 constables on the basis of fake certificates. That time, Upadhyay, as DIG (training), had detected the scam and referred 11 such cases. Subsequently, the government had ordered a probe. Though chargesheets were made against some of the officials, including the then DGP, no action was taken.
Reacting to Upadhyay’s charges, Praharaj said: “His allegations are a pack of lies.”
