RAIPUR: Apparently “unhappy” with the superintendent of police of restive Sukma district, Indira Kalyan Elesela, who raked up a fresh controversy allegedly saying that human rights activists should be crushed on the roads by heavy vehicles, the Chhattisgarh government transferred him to the State Police Headquarters (PHQ) on Friday.
The 2011-batch IPS officer made the controversial statement during the launch of new heavy vehicle models of an automobile company at Bastar in which inspector general of police SRP Kalluri was the chief guest. Kalluri, accused of gross human rights violations as Bastar IG, was shifted to the PHQ earlier.
The government has also shifted Bastar SP R N Dash, who was also present at the private event along with Kalluri and Elesela.
Elesela has been asked to join the State Intelligence Branch (SIB) in the PHQ and Dash has been transferred to Baloda bazaar. Along with the two officers, four other IPS officers were also transferred.
Interestingly, police officers present at the programme “talked more” about the Maoists and human rights activists than about the vehicles.
Elesela failed to retract what he had said against the activists but quickly added that “everyone has a freedom of speech”.
Leader of opposition T S Singhdeo raised the issue in the Assembly calling the remark by Elesela “highly deplorable” and asked the Raman Singh government to probe and initiate disciplinary action.
“It’s shocking that in a conflict zone like Bastar where the security concerns of people remain paramount, a senior police officer has openly issued such an unacceptable statement,” Singhdeo said.
Earlier, inspector general of police SRP Kalluri was accused of targeting human rights lawyers, activists and journalists after he took charge as the Bastar IG in June 2014.