HYDERABAD: A day after The New Indian Express published a report based on the findings of an inquiry by the Telangana State Intelligence Wing into allegations against senior IPS officer and Special Protection Force (SPF) director-general Tejdeep Kaur Menon, the officer dismissed the allegations
as ‘‘baseless.’’
The Intelligence Department had conducted discreet enquiries into the allegations and prepared a detailed report indicting the officer on several charges. Among the six allegations against Tejdeep Kaur Menon were misappropriation of funds meant for the Swachh Hyderabad programme, harassment of Telangana SPF employees, misuse and abuse of power and showing favouritism to Andhra personnel.
Here is the full text of her rejoinder to the report:
“This is to point out that the report titled ‘‘Intel report puts Tejdeep Kaur in the dock’’ and related ones in the Indian Express (sic) of March 16, 2017 is a travesty of facts.
…
“The allegations about internal organizational and resource matters of what is a security organization coupled with imputed motives of working against the interests of the Telangana state are tenuous and baseless. The headline “Over `20 lakh pilfered from SPF’’ is a classic example.
“It is for the appropriate authority to consider and respond to these allegations on internal organizational matters, which is reportedly by the author the subject of Intelligence Department probe, in public domain.
“It is apparent that the report was written and published only to tarnish my name and reputation. The reports are highly slanderous and intended to malign the work that the TSSPF and I are involved in and apparently based on verifiable allegations if only I was asked for the facts.
“The report is per se defamatory as it is a deliberate attempt to needlessly, or at the behest of some, to project me in the darkest light possible and to scandalize me in public and tar my reputation besides wipe out the good name that the TSSPF has earned by dint of hard work in protection and rejuvenation of Nature and the environment.
“What is being attempted is to deter the highly motivated force that the TSSPF has been transformed into from displaying their concern and commitment to what is beyond the customary call of duty.
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Thanking you, Tejdeep Kaur Menon IPS Director General, Telangana Special protection Force, Our correspondent responds The report published by The New Indian Express is entirely based on the findings of the Telangana State Intelligence Wing, which conducted an enquiry into allegations against Tejdeep Kaur Menon. The Intelligence Wing had submitted the inquiry findings in the form of a report to the powers that be, a copy of which is with Express.
As per journalism ethics, before the report was published in these columns on Wednesday, The New Indian Express spoke to Tejdeep and her response to the specific findings was published point by point alongside the report on Wednesday.