Captain pulls up top cop in public

In a strong rebuff to his Director General of Police A A Siddiqui, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today not only ruled out implementa...

In a strong rebuff to his Director General of Police A A Siddiqui, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today not only ruled out implementation of his orders transferring 25 DSPs but also pulled him up saying he might as well quit.

‘‘I had given verbal orders that till I have a look at the lists, no police officers are to be transferred…If someone wants to function independently, he is free to go to Delhi, I will ask my Chief Secretary to find a slot for him,’’ Amarinder said when asked to clarify reports about differences between Principal Secretary (Home) S K Sinha and the police chief over the transfers.

Within hours, the office of the DGP issued a statement trying to scotch ‘‘the impression that there is defiance of the government and the CM’s authority,’’ and blamed ‘‘baseless reporting’’ for the row.

Story continues below this ad

‘‘This is to clarify that the decisions regarding postings and transfers have always been taken with the consent of the government and under the directions of the CM,’’ a spokesman of the Punjab Police said.

Siddiqui had ordered transfers of the DSPs and had reportedly stuck to his decision in the face of opposition from oficers close to CM. Amarinder said his was a democratically elected government and ‘‘views of ministers and MLAs have to be taken into account for effecting decisions.’’ ‘‘If anybody thinks they can bypass the CM’s wishes, they should think again,’’ said a visibly angry CM.

Amarinder abruptly ended the chat with reporters, and left Punjab Bhawan where he had earlier signed an MoU with Quark for a multi-crore project. Siddiqui was reportedly out of station today. He joined as DGP on August 1, and these were the first lot of transfers of DSP-level officers, which he had ordered on October 30.

Day after PM Modi’s visit to the town, Manipur’s Churachandpur sees violent protest

India10 hr ago

Protests in Manipur's Churachandpur turned violent as two men were arrested for damaging decorations for PM Modi's visit. The crowd demanded their release and attempted to storm the police station. The men were eventually released after a bail hearing. The incident occurred after a clash between locals and police on Thursday, but the situation had calmed down before Saturday's visit.

View all shorts

Live Blog