Video Producer: Pratyusha Roychowdhury
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
A senior police officer is posted at a district and within a month’s time, he/she is transferred. An international programme is planned in a certain district. But just before that, the SSP is transferred.
Not just one or two, Uttar Pradesh saw an enormous number of officer transfers, especially in the last few months. Just recently, the UP government issued transfer orders for 15 IPS officers on 25 July. Only the government knows why.
Uttar Pradesh is now being called ‘Transfer Pradesh’. But why is that? Let us count first.
On 20 July, six IAS officers received their transfer orders. In July, when the case of an inmate flashing a gun in an Unnao prison came up, the UP government transferred 21 prison officers and 15 IAS officers. On 14 June, 11 IAS officers were transferred.
Let us look at some more transfer cases.
Kanpur, also known as ‘Kidnapping-pur’ witnessed the transfer of SSP Dinesh Kumar P, who was posted there just recently, in June. Gangster Vikas Dubey hailed from Kanpur, whose notoriety brought the police-criminal nexus to the forefront.
Kanpur police has been making headlines for various controversies, starting from the news of criminal Vikas Dubey to the news of laxity of police officers in the abduction case of a young lab technician on 22 June.
Similarly, Amethi’s Khyati Garg’s transfer is in relation to a mother-daughter duo trying to immolate themselves in front of the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow. The mother died later. In this case too, the two alleged that Amethi police failed to give them justice.
In spite of the numerous transfers and encounters in Uttar Pradesh, the criminals live fearlessly.
A journalist in Ghaziabad lodged a complaint with the police about his niece’s harassment.
The police took no action but the miscreants shot the journalist in the middle of the road. Were the goons aiming just at the journalist, or was this an open challenge to the police?
On 25 July, the SSP of Ayodhya was also transferred. That too, at a time when Ram Mandir’s bhoomi pujan is scheduled on 5 August. The prime minister might attend the event too.
On 25 July, CM Yogi Adityanath himself went to Ayodhya to review the preparations for the bhoomipujan. Ashish Tiwari had been Ayodhya’s SSP for a long time. However, presently, he has been sidelined. He is now posted as SP, Railway in Jhansi.
It is obvious that the ban has been removed. But the COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet. So, why these hurried transfers?
How effective these transfers will be in response to the increasing crimes in UP, only news headlines will reveal.
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