MP CM transfers police officers over misconduct; SIT Chief in Minister Vijay Shah's case reassigned

Bhopal, June 2 (IANS) In light of recent developments within the police force, significant administrative changes have been enacted at higher police officer ranks, including Pramod Verma, Chief of SIT (Special Investigation Team) formed to investigate Minister Vijay Shah’s case.

Terming their “public behaviour inappropriate”, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has transferred several senior police officers and shifted them to other places.

The Home Department has issued an order transferring Pramod Verma, who led the Special Investigation Team investigating the case of Minister Vijay Shah. The state home department issued orders late at night on Sunday. Formerly serving as Inspector General (IG) of the Sagar Range, Verma will now assume the role of IG for the Jabalpur Range. In his stead, Chandrashekhar Solanki, previously IG of Special Armed Forces (SAF), Indore, has been transferred to Sagar as the Inspector General.

On his X handle, CM Dr Mohan Yadav wrote that the conduct of the Superintendent of Police of Katni, the Superintendent of Police of Datia, as well as the Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General of Chambal Range, has been “deemed inconsistent with the principles of public service.”

As a result, directives have been issued for their swift readjustment to their positions. The officers affected by this decision include Katni SP Abhijeet Ranjan, Datia SP Virendra Kumar, Chambal Range IG Sushant Kumar Saxena, and DIG Kumar Saurabh.

In a broader administrative reshuffle, the Home Department has issued transfer orders for ten IPS officers, including the aforementioned four. New appointments have been made to fill these vacant positions.

Abhinav Vishwakarma has been designated as the Superintendent of Police for Katni, and Suraj Verma as the Superintendent of Police for Datia. Their predecessors, Abhijeet Ranjan and Virendra Kumar Mishra, have been reassigned to the Police Headquarters in Bhopal as Assistant Inspector Generals. Additionally, DCP Indore, Abhinav Vishwakarma, has assumed responsibilities as Katni’s new SP, while Suraj Verma has been assigned as Datia’s SP.

Further reorganisation within the police hierarchy has resulted in the appointment of Sachin Atulkar as the new Inspector General of Chambal and Sunil Kumar Jain as the new Deputy Inspector General of Chambal. Their predecessors, IG Sushant Kumar Saxena and DIG Kumar Saurabh, have been reassigned to the Police Headquarters.

The transfer of Katni and Datia’s SPs follows a reported altercation between Katni SP Abhijeet Ranjan and the Tehsildar’s husband, which came to public attention. Similarly, a dispute among senior police officials unfolded during the arrangements for the inauguration of Datia airport, culminating in heated exchanges between the SP, IG, and DIG. Sources indicate that disagreements arose regarding crowd control measures, particularly concerning the presence of BJP workers at the event. The Inspector General reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the SP’s handling of the crowd, sparking a confrontation that ultimately necessitated intervention from the Chief Minister, resulting in the shifting of the three officers involved.

--IANS

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