Haryana IG alleges ‘serious threat’ from Home Secy, seeks his transfer

Kumar also mentioned that Arora “be posted in a position where no IAS or IPS officer is directly under his administrative control for the remaining over five months of his residual government service as an abundant precaution”.

Officials in the government have hinted that the matter will be examined, adding it may be linked to the initiation of disciplinary action against Kumar earlier in an issue related to a temple situated at Shahjadpur police station in Ambala district.

Kumar has been terming the disciplinary action against him as “discriminatory” and “vindictive”. He had also approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court over the same.

Kumar is currently Inspector General (IG) of Haryana Armed Police (HAP), Madhuban (Karnal).

Earlier, he was IGP of Ambala police range, but was transferred in April 2021, even before completion of one year at the assignment there.

The IPS officer on January 8 had written to DGP P K Agrawal and ADGP CID Alok Mittal alleging “possible misuse of official authority by Arora”.

Then also, Kumar had stated that Arora may not be allowed to continue as an ACS home till the completion of the inquiry into two complaints filed against him earlier.

The IPS officer had sought his transfer to prevent “tampering” of documentary evidence and misuse of authority by the ACS.

“But since he continues in the post of ACS,” Kumar had alleged, “he may try to intimidate or harm me and my family directly or indirectly by misusing his official authority as ACS home”.

The IPS officer also alleged that in the past most of his personal staff including drivers and PSOs were withdrawn “under the pressure” of Arora.

Following his complaint, the state DGP on January 20 asked the ADGP CID to “take further necessary action for suitable security”.

According to Kumar, “ADGP CID had reportedly conducted an assessment of the threat to him and his family and subsequently police security was deployed at his Chandigarh residence”.

However, now Kumar has sought Arora’s transfer stating only “static guard at his residence is not sufficient”.

In his letter to the Chief Secretary, Kumar alleged: “Rajeev Arora…continues to misuse his official position and authority to harass me in every possible manner which have and are being brought to your kind notice regularly and the same are still pending with your kind self for further necessary action.”

Arora was not available for the comments but sources in the government said the IPS officer had earlier raised questions over the security cover of two IPS officers too apart from a complaint against another IPS officer in connection with alleged “lack of approval” for the construction of a temple in Sirsa’s Police Line 13 years ago.

What is the temple issue?

A 2001-batch IPS officer, Y Puran Kumar has been alleging that he was “harassed” for visiting the temple in the premises of Shahjadpur police station in Ambala district in 2021 when he was posted as the IGP in Ambala police range. According to Kumar, the then DGP Manoj Yadava on August 17, 2020, had written a DO letter regarding the setting up of the temple in the premises of the police station asking whether any permission was taken to set up the temple. The temple, Kumar said, however, had been in existence since 2011.

According to Kumar, he had informed the DGP that a similar temple was existing in Sirsa district’s police station, but no action was taken by the DGP against Sirsa’s district police chief.

However, later Yadava had issued directions to all the district police chiefs to stop this exercise of having religious places set up on the premises of the police stations.

The High Court had directed Arora to decide Kumar’s complaints expeditiously.