LUCKNOW: Cracking the whip against police officials allegedly indulging in corrupt practices, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has suspended two officers in the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) during the last 24 hours.
Mahoba SP Mani Lal Patidar is the latest in the firing line as he was suspended on charges of graft here on Wednesday. On Tuesday, CM Yogi’s axe had fallen on Prayagraj SP Abhishek Dixit who was also suspended on the charges of corruption and non-performance.
In fact, Patidar, a 2014 batch IPS officer, was charged with demanding a bribe of Rs 6 lakh per month in lieu of allowing a crusher dealer to continue his business. The crusher dealer Indrakant Tripathi, had written a letter to UP CM and DGP, explaining the deeds of the Mahoba police chief last week.
As per the police sources, while the charges leveled in the complaint lodged by Tripathi was prima facie found to be true, the trader had also made a video viral on social media on September 7, around 8 pm, clearly talking about the threat to his life from the SP and his cohorts as he was not able to pay him the bribe.
“I want to apprise UP CM Yogi Adityanath that Mahoba SP Mani Lal Patidar is a very corrupt officer and he openly demands money. My partners Kishore Diwedi and Purushotam Soni, who have legal licences for doing crushing work, were asked to appear in person by cops and pay Rs 6 lakh to the SP.
Police have also threatened that if they would fail to pay the amount, they would be framed in false cases and could even be eliminated. But after paying the amount of Rs 6 lakh in June and July, we were not able to pay it further,” said Tripathi in his video appeal which he also tweeted the same day.
He further said in the video appeal that he was feeling a threat to his life. “A team of 4-5 cops are tracking me continuously, hence if anything happens to me and I am killed in a road accident or shot then SP Mani Lal Patidar would solely be responsible,” Tripathi is seen saying in the video.
Significantly, the day after releasing the video, Tripathi was shot at by unidentified assailants sustaining a gunshot in his neck while he was coming in his car alone from Kabrai to Banda. “Tripathi was admitted to Regency Hospital in Kanpur where he is stable,” said Inspector General of police, Chitrakoot Dham Range, K Satya Narayana. Narayana also said that on the basis of the allegations, SP Mani Lal Patidar was put on suspension.
Another probe by the Intelligence department and IG Chitrakoot Dham range against Patidar was also ordered by the UP DGP headquarters. Similarly, other instances of the corruption indicating the alleged indulgence of the Mahoba district police chief have also come to the fore.
As per the communique of the state home department, the allegations on Patidar have led to tarnish the image of the police department. He has been accused of taking bribes from the owner of vehicles carrying crushing stones.
Patidar being an IPS is also a member of a disciplined force, allegations of corruption on the officer have not only tarnished the image of the local administration but also the government. As a result, Patidar has been suspended and attached to the DGP office in Lucknow.
He was also found to have worked against the violation of the all India services (conduct) rules, 1968, section 3, where every member of the Service shall at all times maintain absolute integrity and devotion to duty and shall do nothing which is unbecoming of a member of the service.
Similarly, taking strong note of the complaints of corrupt practices and failure to control law and order, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday had suspended Prayagraj police chief Abhishek Dixit. The decision to suspend Dixit was taken after multiple complaints against the officer of indulging in corrupt practices for transfers and postings.
So far, the UP government has suspended five IPS officers this year. Last year, another SSP of Prayagraj, Atul Sharma, had been suspended after a spate of killings in the city.