Four Rewari SHOs suspended for laxity in nabbing looters

Four inspectors, posted as Station House Officers (SHOs), have been placed under suspension with immediate effect for dereliction of duty in connection with a looting incident at a jewellery showroom in Bawal town here on November 11.

A departmental inquiry has also been ordered against them. The inquiry would be conducted by DSP (Headquarter) who has been asked to furnish the findings at the earliest by holding day-to-day proceedings.

The SHOs who have been suspended are Lajpat of Bawal, Mukesh Chand of Model Town, Surendra Singh of City and Bhagwat Parshad of Rohrai Police Station.

“The miscreants looted jewellery and cash at gunpoint from a jewellery shop at Katla Bazar in Bawal on November 11. A three-layered sealing plan by the authorities is already in force. After the crime, a VT was flashed at 12:20 pm to all units to put up nakas as per the sealing plan to nab the looters,” according to the orders issued by Gaurav Raj Purohit, Superintendent of Police (SP), Rewari.

According to the investigation, the criminals fled on a motorcycle crossing the jurisdiction of Bawal, Model Town, City and Rohrai police stations. The investigation found gross carelessness and negligence on the part of the SHOs concerned in apprehending the criminals.

“All four inspectors were served a show-cause notice on November 13 asking them why disciplinary action should not be taken against them," reads the order. "Only inspector Bhagwat Parshad submitted his reply which was also found unsatisfactory while other SHOs did not bother to submit their reply. They have shown utmost negligence in prevention and detection of crime. It reflects adversely on their efficiency, dereliction of duties on their part and acute insubordination while being posted as SHOs,” say the order.

The order further states they (SHOs) have shown recklessness and non-compliance with the directions of higher authorities. Showing laxity towards apprehending criminals, prevention and detection of crime by the SHOs is a serious misconduct itself on their part and they deserve to be dealt with stern disciplinary action, hence the SHOs are placed under suspension with immediate effect for their serious misconduct subject to approval of the IGP, South Range, Rewari, the order reads. Their headquarters have been fixed at Police Lines, Rewari.SP Gaurav Raj Purohit, while confirming the suspension, said dereliction of duty by any cop would not be tolerated.

Notably, after the looting incident, local traders had organised a panchayat and also gave an ultimatum to the police to nab the looters. Thereafter, the police got into action and managed to arrest them.

Caption: Policemen inspecting the crime spot at Bawal town in Rewari on November 11. File photo