Govt furious as hostage cop turns TV celebrity

In fact,there’s major resentment in the government over how he has carried himself since his release — being on a string of TV shows,changing clothes six times during a day for TV appearances,narrating details of his abduction despite being told not to do so and publicly “thanking” the Maoists for letting him go.

“He has become an embarrassment…shaking hands with the Maoists. He has not expressd any remorse over the death of two of his colleagues. This is unbecoming of an officer in uniform,” a senior police officer said.

Said Kuldip Singh,IG,Western Range: “He is violating conduct rules by speaking with the media day and night and divulging every detail of the case. We had asked him not to do so. However,we are evaluating the role of the OC as well as others in the police station during the Maoist attack. If some anomalies come forward,necessary action will be taken.”

“The SP had served him a notice to join duty immediately. He was released on October 22 and we gave him three days to recoup. On TV shows,we found him hale and hearty. Therefore,he should join immediately,” added Singh.

But Dutta,after almost seven hours of a “debriefing session” at the state CID office today,told The Indian Express: “I will not join immediately. Let all this get over and then I will sit with my family members and decide whether to join duty or not. I could seek a posting in some other department in the police.”

When asked about his TV appearances,Dutta said: “The media is largely responsible for my release. That’s why I answered their queries. But I won’t say anything now.”