In a late night order on Monday, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in Uttar Pradesh, Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj, was removed from his post of Prayagraj district police, giving rise to a new controversy in the state amid the coronavirus pandemic. He has not got his new posting yet.
Recently several arrests were made under his watch in an alleged scam linked to the recruitment of 69,000 government primary school teachers in the state, NDTV reported.
Pankaj was also admitted to a COVID-19 suspect ward in Prayagraj on Tuesday, 16 June, after one of his security personnel tested positive.
The administration has stated that the officer has been hospitalised as he is a "high risk contact."
Last week, the district police had arrested 11 people including those accused of running a cheating racket linked to the recruitment of 69,000 government primary school teachers in Uttar Pradesh, which was showcased by the Yogi Adityanath government as a big achievement, marking a boost in the employment opportunities in the state.
KL Patel, an influential businessman and politician who reportedly runs several private educational institutions in Prayagraj, is among those who were arrested.
Congress's UP incharge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned Mr Pankaj's removal in statement on Twitter, "At a time when he unravelled a major scam, his departure should not affect investigations. Whatever the reason, such officers should get full support from the public who do their duty with full honesty and without fear," she said.
She was reacting to a tweet by the officer from SSP Prayagraj's twitter handle after news of his transfer last night.
In a message, Mr Pankaj had said in Hindi: “I am grateful for all the love and belief from the people of Prayagraj. I am hopeful you will always believe in the police in a similar way.”
A 2010 batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Pankaj was posted as Prayagraj's police chief in August 2019.
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