Negligence in graft case probe: UP DGP recommends suspension of Barabanki SP

DGP OP Singh told The Indian Express that he has recommended for suspension of the SP, Barabanki as prima facie he is responsible for lack of supervision and negligence as the sub-inspector took the bribery and he remained unaware.

Chief Secretary Anoop Chandra Pandey said the government was yet to receive the recommendation for the suspension of the SP.

When contacted, 2013-batch IPS officer and SP, said, “I have no information about recommendation for my suspension. I do not even know if any inquiry was conducted against me as no one came to record my statement.”

Station House Officer, City Kotwali police station, Barabanki, Dharmendra Kumar Singh, informed, on January 8, one Sanwley Sharma filed a complaint with the SP, alleging that some persons running a chit fund scheme in the district were likely to run away with a huge sum of the investors. SP handed over an inquiry into the allegations to cyber cell in-charge, Anoop Kumar.

The SP said, “I directed Anoop Kumar to lodge an FIR on the basis of the inquiry report and the legal opinion sought by the special prosecutor into the matter. However, he got the case lodged on the mere allegations of Sanwley’s complaint only and the findings of the inquiry report was not included in the FIR, which weakened the charges against the accused.”

The FIR was lodged on January 10 on charges including forgery and cheating by impersonation at City Kotwali police station, said the SP.

The three directors of the company – Shankar Gayan, Dheeraj Srivastava and Prasanji Sardar – were arrested and sent to jail later, informed SP, adding police had also seized the bank accounts and offices of the company in Lucknow and Barabanki.

All three accused are from West Bengal. After being released on bail in February, Shankar Gyan filed a complaint with DGP OP Singh alleging that Anoop Kumar allegedly took Rs 65 lakh promising him favour in the case, the SP said. Shankar Gyan also alleged that he was detained illegally for two days by Anoop Kumar.

DGP OP Singh had directed Special Task Force (STF) to conduct an inquiry into the allegations.