MYSURU: Call it an oversight or negligence of authorities, a head constable who was suspended a month back amid allegations of colluding with anti-social elements, appeared on the list of recipients for the prestigious Chief Minister’s Medal.
The Chief Minister medal, an honour typically reserved for officials with exemplary service records, has now been mired in controversy following this incident.
Salim Pasha, who was part of the City Crime Branch (CCB) unit in Mysuru, was suspended a month ago amid serious allegations of misconduct. The accusations against him are far from trivial. Pasha is alleged to have colluded with criminal elements, indirectly facilitated the theft of public property, and contact with the criminal elements.
On July 12, based on a report from the ACP of Vijayanagar sub division, the city police commissioner’s officer ordered his suspension until pending departmental enquiry.
Despite these charges, his name was somehow included among those being recognised with the Chief Minister’s Medal, a list which was released on Wednesday, raising eyebrows and sparking outrage within the department.
According to sources, Pasha maintained suspiciously close ties with relatives of the accused in these cases and the CDR report even proved it, which ultimately led senior officials to rec ommend his suspension.
The incident has cast a shadow over the award, with many within the police department and the public questioning how such a glaring mistake could occur. The situation has left the police and even authorities undermining the integrity of the awards process.
Though police are tight-lipped about the incident and are unavailable for calls, sources revealed that a special committee meticulously reviews the service performance of candidates before recommending names to the government, however his name might be nominated before the suspension but it could have been reviewed again, said an official, on condition of anonymity.
When The New Indian Express contacted city police commissioner Seema Latkar, she did not respond to calls and messages.