After Durga, Rajasthan cop transferred under political pressure

Days after the suspension of Indian Administrative Service officer Durga Shakti Nagal, an Indian Police Service officer was transferred two days after he reopened the history-sheet of the father of a Congress member of Legislative Assembly in Rajasthan, who had allegedly been involved in smuggling and other anti-social activities.

Superintendent of Police, Jaisalmer, Pankaj Choudhary said, "As an officer of the state police department, I will soon be shifting to the new place."

Choudhary said he had reopened history-sheets against several persons, including the one against Gazi Fakir, father of Pokhran Congress MLA Saleh Mohammed, on July 31 after a spurt in crime in the golden fort city. He was transferred on August 2.

Meanwhile, a bandh was observed on Sunday against alleged "untimely" transfer of the IPS officer from the district by the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan. Businessmen, hoteliers, and tour operators led the shutdown and held a rally demanding revocation of the transfer order, police said.

The protesters alleged that the "honest and dedicated" officer, who had cracked down on crime, had been deliberately transferred under political pressure to Kishangarh in Ajmer as a police training services commandant, said Kailash Meghwal, in-charge of special police branch. They marched from Gadhisar Talab to the collectorate in the morning and submitted a memorandum to the collector on the issue.

When contacted on telephone, the outgoing SP told PTI that his transfer was "routine". He said that the state government had on August 2 brought out a list of officers who were being given new postings.

Rajasthan Chief Secretary CK Mathew said that transfers in the police department were effected by the state home department, adding he was not aware about the details. State home department Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Sampatram could not be reached for comment.

A history-sheet of Fakir was opened for the first time on July 31, 1965 but that file went missing in 1984. Although the history-sheet was reopened after six years in 1990, it was closed in May 2011 by an ASP-rank official when he had been holding charge as SP.

Image: Jaisalmer SP Pankaj Choudhary transferred for reopened the history-sheet of Congress MLAs father

Photograph: TV grab