Dilli Ka Babu: Politics and policing

A 1992-batch IPS officer, Dawa Sherpa, has stirred a major controversy in Uttar Pradesh following his appointment as additional director-general of police (ADGP) of Gorakhpur, chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s home base. The state government has been accused of appointing the cop because of his past affiliation with the ruling party. Sources say that Mr Sherpa had sought voluntary retirement (VRS) in 2008 and reportedly joined the BJP to contest from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. However, his plea for the VRS was turned down by the Union home ministry as he had not completed mandatory 20 years of service. Reportedly, Mr Sherpa was “missing” for four years and “rejoined” the UP police in 2012 as superintendent of police. He was promoted as DIG and again as IG in 2013 itself and was finally made ADG in January 2016.

It is certainly an odd case, of perhaps being the only officer in the IPS who was absent for four years, engaged in active politics and then returned to the fold. The UP home department, however, says that “nothing amiss” has been found in Mr Sherpa’s service records. But many serving and retired IPS officers claim that the government is being “soft” towards the officer who is liable for dismissal from service for being associated with a political party.

PMO intervenes in Jharkhand

Jharkhand chief secretary Rajbala Verma, who has had a controversial career, has now courted fresh trouble just ahead of her retirement. She has now been accused of shielding an officer who allegedly indulged in misconduct in coal block allocation. Sources say that the PMO had now written to the principal secretary of Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das, asking for a probe against Ms Verma and senior IPS officer A.P. Singh and take necessary action.

Ms Verma, a 1983-batch Bihar cadre IAS officer, came under a cloud in the allocation of 200 acres of land to a coal mining company. Earlier, she faced attack from Opposition parties for allegedly writing to a private bank to pressure it to fund her son’s company. Besides, she was also accused of laxity in the probe concerning the fodder scam. Though Ms Verma managed to avoid responding to several notices from the CBI, with the PMO entering the picture, sources say, the chief minister may not have any options left.