Punjab Police officers can no longer take ‘favourites’ along after transfer

Aman Sood

Patiala, December 20

No official of the Punjab Police will now be able to take their ‘blue-eyed’ staff with them after transfer.

Following allegations of “corruption and misconduct” by personal staff carried along by senior police officers during transfers from one district to another, the Punjab Police have issued a strict warning and ordered that such officers be sent back to their parent units.

Allegations of corruption, misconduct

• In a letter, the DGP has written to senior officers of all districts: “Such a practice is neither permissible nor allowed and needs to be stopped forthwith.”
• “Numerous allegations of corruption and misconduct by such personal staff have come to notice. Such practices lower the image of the government,” the letter adds.

The DGP has ordered police officers in all districts to send unauthorised police personnel back to their parent district with immediate effect.

In a letter to all senior police officers, including special DGPs, Police Commissioners, SSPs, IGs and DIG-level officers, the DGP has ordered that all such officers be sent to their parent units and a compliance report be sent to his office by them”.

The letter, a copy of which is with The Tribune, states: “It has come to our notice that some Commissioners and SSPs are taking police officers DSPs, SHOs, CIA in-charge and personal staff (including reader, assistant reader, steno etc) from the district/units of their previous postings to new places of postings. Such practice is neither permissible, nor allowed and needs to be stopped forthwith.”

“Numerous allegations of corruption and misconduct by the personal staff, especially reader staff, have come to notice. Such practices lower the image of the government and the Police Department, while also bringing a bad name to the officers concerned,” states the letter sent on December 18.

The DGP has warned that these should be stopped immediately. “Further, any such police officers and personal staff, who were taken along from one posting to another by the officers, should be immediately sent back to their parent units”, reads the letter.

A senior IPS officer said that there were dozens of such officers in Punjab who operate through their favourite readers and security officers.

“This practice leads to a number of administrative problems and needs to be discontinued in the interest of professional propriety,” he added.

Welcoming the orders, a former IG-rank officer said all officers, who take police officials of different ranks along with them without proper authorisation to this effect at the time of their posting from one district or unit to another only create indiscipline.

“In my opinion, except their personal security, all staff taken alongside should be asked to report back to their respective parent districts or units”, he added.