Prayagraj SSP tests positive, put on wait list

The removal of Pankaj, a 2010-batch IPS officer who had been appointed to the post in August 2019, has triggered a controversy.

Last week, the district police had arrested 11 people, including two candidates who cleared the 2019 basic assistant teachers’ recruitment exam. According to investigators, the accused had promised to get some of the candidates selected in return for money. These candidates had written the exam at a centre in Prayagraj.

Social activist Dr Nutan Thakur sought his reinstatement, alleging that the officer had been removed for arresting a gang allegedly responsible for irregularities in the recruitment examination for 69,000 assistant teachers.

In a press release, Thakur asked why the investigation was transferred to the Special Task Force despite Pankaj doing excellent work. She accused the state government of corruption and impropriety.

Meanwhile, health officials said the SSP’s sample was collected after his gunner tested positive for Covid-19. “The report of Aniruddha Pankaj has also turned out to be positive, and he was today hospitalised in Prayagraj,” said district Chief Medical Officer GS Bajpai.

Late Monday night, the government had ordered transfer of 14 IPS officers. Among them were Deputy Inspector General/Senior Superintendent of Police of Kanpur Nagar, Anant Dev has been made Deputy Inspector General Special Task Force, Lucknow.

Dinesh Kumar P has been made the new Senior Superintendent of Police of Kanpur Nagar. He was till now posted as Senior Superintendent of Police of Saharanpur.

S Channappa, who was Superintendent of Police of Shahjahanpur, has been made the new Senior Superintendent of Police of Saharanpur, it said.

S Anand is the new Superintendent of Police of Shahjahanpur, while R P Singh is the new Superintendent of Police of Sitapur.

L R Kumar, who was posted as Deputy Inspector General/Senior Superintendent of Police of Sitapur, has been made the new DIG Vigilance, the statement said.

Vikrant Vir, who was posted as Superintendent of Police of Unnao, has been posted to Hathras in the same capacity. Gaurav Banswal is the new SP Crime at DGP Headquarters.

Abhishek Dixit, SP Pilibhit is the new SSP of Prayagraj. Rohan P Kanai has been made the new SP of Unnao, while Jai Prakash is the new SP of Pilibhit.

Ajay Kumar Singh is the new SP of Baghpat, the statement said.

Pratap Gopendra Yadav, who was posted as SP Baghpat, has been transferred to DGP Headquarters in Lucknow, a statement issued by the government said.

With PTI inputs