Probe against UP IPS officer hours after viral ‘bribe’ video

Aniruddh Singh, in a statement to The Indian Express, denied the charges, saying the video was an old one in which he was trying to “trap a rape accused trying to influence the probe”.

“A video of IPS (officer) Aniruddh Singh, posted in Meerut as Additional Superintendent of Police (Meerut Rural), in which he is seen talking to someone on a video call went viral on Sunday. An allegation of corruption is being levelled against him (Aniruddh) on the basis of the video… The matter is two years old but due to serious nature of the matter, Varanasi Commissioner (Police) has been directed to conduct an inquiry and submit its report in three days,” a statement by UP Police Headquarters on Sunday read.

Aniruddh Singh, a 2018-batch IPS officer, is a native of Bihar. Sources said that he was transferred from Fatehpur district to Meerut in January this year. They also said the viral video is linked to the incident when Aniruddh Singh was posted in Varanasi. It is alleged that Aniruddh Singh was talking to a person who is facing sexual assault charges. “Around two years ago when the video first came up, Varanasi Police Commissioner had got an inquiry done. During the probe, nothing serious was found,” a police officer claimed.

As the video went viral on Sunday, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. “After this video of an IPS officer demanding money in UP, will the direction of bulldozers change towards him or one more name will be added to the list of absconding IPS officers, and the BJP will also get rid of this matter? The people of UP are seeing the reality of BJP’s zero-tolerance towards crime,” Akhilesh tweeted in Hindi and posted a clip of the viral video.

Replying to Akhilesh’s tweet, Meerut Police said: “This video is over two years old and does not have any connection with Meerut. A probe has been completed in the matter.” In the evening, in another statement, UP Police (Headquarters) said probe has been ordered against Arti Singh for allegedly not paying rent to owner of the flat where she is living.

“A tweet was received in connection with Arti Singh in which her flat owner alleged that she has not paid rent,” the UP Police said, adding an inquiry found that she had paid all due rent and nothing was pending. “Still, the Varanasi Police Commissioner has been directed to conduct an inquiry and submit the report in three days,” the press note issued by the UP Police added.

Arti Singh is a 2017-batch IPS officer. In a statement, Aniruddh Singh said the viral video was of the time when he was posted as Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Chetganj, in Varanasi district. “The video is related to around one-and-a-half years old case in which the owner of Sunbeam School was booked in a rape case… Since the accused was regularly trying to influence the probe, I spoke to him in a bid to trap him,” Singh said, adding that all those conversations were in the knowledge of senior officials.

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“In the inquiry, I got a clean chit after which I was posted as ASP, Fatehpur, and then ASP, Meerut Rural. After one-and-a-half years, this old video is now being circulated,” Aniruddh said. Arti Singh could not be contacted as her mobile phone was switched off.