LUCKNOW: An Uttar Pradesh police sub-inspector is facing the wrath of his seniors for growing a beard. Sub-inspector Intezar Ali was suspended by Baghpat district police chief Abhishek Singh for keeping a beard allegedly without the department’s permission.
Intezar Ali, the sub-inspector, was posted at Baghpat’s Ramala police station. Baghpat SP Abhishek Singh ordered Ali’s suspension on Wednesday.
While interacting with the media, Abhishek Singh cited the police manual saying Intezar Ali was served many notices but he did not comply and continued with a long beard in a breach of discipline.
“Ali was suspended yesterday (Wednesday) as he kept his beard without permission. Even after repeated instructions, he failed to comply with the norms. Earlier, he was also issued a show-cause notice over the issue. S-I Ali has been suspended for indiscipline and a probe has been ordered against him,” said the SP adding that if he wanted to grow a beard, he should have taken permission from the department.
The Baghpat police added in a statement, “Intezar Ali was earlier served with a notice for not trimming his beard. Despite this, Ali continued to flout dress code norms without any permission from the authorities concerned.”
However, Ali insisted he had been trying to seek permission for keeping the beard since December 2019 but to no avail. He also claimed that he had been serving the police force with the beard since 1994 and so far no one objected to it.
“I joined as a constable in 1994 and at that time, I had a light beard. But over the last couple of years, I have always had a beard of this length. I had gone to ask for leave last year and the SP at the time, Pratap Gopendra Yadav, questioned me over my beard. I have had postings in other places over so many years of service, but nobody ever stopped me. I had given a letter seeking permission too, but I still haven’t got it,” said the suspended cop.
Manoj Singh, the public relations officer of the Baghpat police, said only Sikhs were allowed to keep a beard while all other policemen had to be clean-shaven. “If any of them wants to grow a beard, they have to seek permission from the department,” he said. Singh added Ali was issued a notice to seek permission from the department but he did not comply.