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It
is true that my resignation from the coveted post of Deputy Superintendent of
Poilce created much furor
in the political and social circles throughout the state of Uttar Pradesh and
was a much debated subject, but at the same time I feel it also true that the
reasons behind my resignation were little understood. Some thought it to be an
impulsive action brought about by frustration, others thought it to be an
action of an idealist, still others an act of a person shying off from his duty,
and some as a right decision in the fight against corruption.
The
decision of resignation was a well thought decision and the ground for this
decision lies not only in my upbringing and my moral values, but was building up
since my student life. When I took admission in Allahabad University, like other
students, I too aspired for the high posts of Civil Services, but probably my
dream was to get a high post and through it, work for well being of the society.
Here I want to put forward a few important incidents of my student life and my
service period, which I think would throw enough light on the process of my
resignation.
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I
was at that time, the elected Social Secretary of Sir Ganga Nath Jha Hostel
of Allahabad University. During the preparations for the competitive
examinations, some anti-social elements had acquired several rooms in the
hostel and were creating nuisance. Just 4 days before my Mains exams, they
threw out the luggage of a Senior inmate appearing for the last time in
Provincial Civil Services exams. He was obviously very disturbed. At
this time, I thought that as the Social secretary of the Hostel, it was my
responsibility that the anti-social elements should be strictly dealt with. So,
leaving aside my preparations, I took a fast-unto-death for 3 days and as a
result, the administration had to get the hostel vacated from the
anti-social elements. But I had to drop my exams. Here an ex-inmate of the
hostel, who was a Senior PCS officer with the state government advised me
that first I should get into the services and then use my position to deal
with such things.
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In the hostel, each year, a grand Annual Cultural Festival used to be held
under the stewardship of the Social Secretary. This program used to cost
lakhs of rupees, mostly contributed by the ex-inmates. I, as the Social secretary,
thought in the interest of the hostel that why not a part of this fund be
used for installing ceiling fans in all the rooms of the hostel. In this
regard, I met the same ex-inmate, the senior PCS officer. This time, he told
me that you are involved in money collection for social good, leaving aside
your studies, it may be the case that people may doubt your intentions.
Can’t you do it like this that first get to a good post and then through
it, work for more extensive good of the society. This preaching had a great
impact on me and using some money saved from the cultural program, I got
some fans installed in the hostel, but from that very day, I devoted myself
fully for the preparations of the competitive exams and in the subsequent year, got selected to the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police. By these
two incidents, I should be clear enough that my chief intention in getting into the service was to work for
the good of the society.
-
As
a Dy. S.P., my first posting was at Jaunpur as C.O. Badlapur. Here I worked
for 10 months. During my posting, people had the feeling that whereas at
other places, SC/St Act was being misused, cases of theft and robbery were
rampant and illegal public transport vehicles were causing road mishaps, I
was able to control such incidents completely.
-
My
next posting was in Varanasi district where I was the junior-most in the
cadre but was still given the charge of C.O. City1, in spite of protests of
some of my colleagues. But soon, I proved my worth and solved a case of loot
of Rs. 10 million (1 crore)worth of Benarasi saris (Angadia Transport loot case) in a
different circle in 5 days time and recovered saris worth Rs. 4 million (40
lakhs).
Only 3 months into this posting, I got information that in my Kotwali area,
in Visheshwarganj Mandi (largest wholesale grocery market of eastern U.P.),
illegal trade of adulterated mustard oil was going on, which was directly
affecting public health. In this regard, I informed my senior officers and
other departments as well, but was told not to interfere and that this was
not part of my job and I had to work for controlling crime only. But still, on the basis of information,
I sealed 9 such godowns. On the next day of
this operation, the then Chief Minister Mr. Kalyan Singh visited Varanasi
and all trade organizations declared Varanasi Bandh in protest against my
action and demanded my
suspension. They alleged that I had taken this action for illegal extortion
of money. I was directed by my senior officers that unless the traders come,
those sealed godowns should not be opened. But my sources informed me that
the involved traders had planned to keep the matter in animation and on
getting a chance, to vacate the adulterated oil from the godowns. In this
situation, I thought it in public interest, to open the sealed godowns in
front of public, media and press to expose the wrong. And I did exactly the
same. Everybody was astonished that the mustard oil they were using was
being made using non-edible chemicals. Approximately 100,000 liters of this
oil was found in these 9 godowns. Next day, through media, all information
was in front of the public. Now the language of all trade organizations had
changed and they started preparing for my public felicitation. But the
political leaders connected with the black money of the accused traders
started opposing me clandestinely and within one and a half month, under
conspiracy, had a fake bomb planted in the circuit house at the time of
Chief Ministers visit and had me suspended. But I was lucky this time and
the culprit Sub-inspector (reader of the I.G. zone, Varanasi) was arrested
within 5 days and the whole conspiracy was exposed. I was reinstated within
a short period of 10 days.
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Here
it is worth mentioning that within 3 months of my recovering the adulterated
mustard oil (July ’98), Dropsy (disease caused by consumption of
adulterated mustard oil) spread throughout India. I was helping the CBI
director Mr. Trinath Mishra in the investigation of the Dropsy case and he
was surprised to know that I had unearthed 100,000 liters of adulterated
mustard oil 3 months back and that had it been taken seriously, Dropsy would
not have broken out in India. Also, in February 2005, dropsy spread in
Lucknow also and here too, the inedible chemical ( synomist) was being used
which I had caught in Varanasi in July’98.
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After the reinstatement, through media and press, everybody wanted to know
that would I still continue acting judiciously or like other officers,
become ”practical”. I replied that I didn’t come to the service to
enjoy the salary and related incentives, but my principal objective was to,
through it, work for the public good. After the one and a half year tenure
at Varanasi, I was transferred to Banda on complains of undercover political
leaders but my transfer was later changed to Barabanki. On my transfer, my
Senior Officers wrote to the State Government that I should not be so
removed from Varanasi, otherwise it would reflect on the morale of the
Police force. But the Government blatantly replied that for it, the so-called public
representative were more important than a police deputy S.P.
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In
Barabanki, I was given the area which was chiefly that of opium cultivation.
It is due to this area that Barabanki is known internationally for heroine
smuggling. By my prudent and honest actions, all the smugglers got
threatened and started organizing against me through money and muscle. But
soon an incident occurred which demoralized all the smugglers. In Zaidpur
police station, a notorious smuggler of village Tikara (international center
for heroine) was wanted since last many years in a case involving 12 kg of
heroine. For arresting him, no police could dare, for Tikara village was
infamous for combating the police force. One day, I was informed that on the
next Friday, the notorious smuggler Akeel alias Bhure, would attend the
Friday Namaz
on any of the Masjids of Tikara village. Acting on this information,
I placed watch on all the masjids, and as a result, from an Almirah built in
one of the masjids, the smuggler was arrested. This incident became a topic
of discussion throughout the area and the illegal drug trafficking racket
was busted. But through their reach, the smugglers got enquiry started
against me through the Anti-corruption department. An inspector and then a
Dy. S.P. did the enquiry and reported in my favour, impressed by my image in
the public. On this, the smugglers alleged that the enquiring officer being
of my own caste, had favoured me. For the same enquiry, a joint team of 1
DIG
and 1 SP was constituted, but impressed by the excellent work done by me,
they reported to the Director General of Police that the allegations against me were baseless. But the undercover
political leaders supporting the smugglers still managed to get me
transferred to PAC.
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Within
1 month of my transfer to PAC, an incident took place in Lucknow, in which
the then Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati suspended the SSP and transferred all
lower officers on the basis that they were not being able to control crime.
Good officers from all over the state were called on to Lucknow, in which I
too was posted. But soon my posting to Lucknow turned out to be a nightmare
for the government itself since I broke into a conspiracy which the
political leaders were unable to digest. As Circle Officer, Hazratganj, I
recovered Rs. 10.5 lakh cash from 2 men. This cash belonged to Basic
Education Officers (BSA) of Basti and Gorakhpur districts which was to be ,
through the related ministers, delivered to the party fund of the ruling
party. The whole case was blown up by the media and it created a furor. The
government was in a fix and at last, I was transferred to crime branch of
CID.
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Here too, I could remain for two months only and the new government (of
Samajwadi Party) posted me to Special Task Force (STF), where I was deputed
against the notorious mafias of eastern U.P and made in-charge of the
Varanasi unit of STF. But soon, I became problematic for the government here
too. I intercepted telephonic deal between
the Mau MLA, who is also a notorious criminal and was supporting the government, and an absconder of the army,
regarding sale of a Light Machine Gun stolen from the Army. After collecting
sufficient proof, I arrested the absconder and recovered the LMG on 25 January
2004. I requested
permission from the Government to book the MLA under POTA (Prevention Of
Terrorist Activities Act). Upon this, almost whole of the Political
Leadership and the Government machinery came out openly to protect the
culprit MLA. I was called to Lucknow on the pretext of evaluation meeting
and the Varanasi office of STF unit was shut down. I was kept aside
from all the jobs allotted to me.
These
few chosen incidents were mentioned as they had occurred during the rule of
different political parties. In the present political scenario, where the
government, directly or indirectly, is being controlled by leaders of mafia
character, Officers like me, working with prudence and honesty do not have a
place. Officers like me are always going to remain in side-postings and when we
cannot remain in the mainstream, how are we going to do any public good ?
In
reality, we are inducted into the service to act as public servants, who are
meant to serve the public, but in the present democracy, the bureaucracy,
instead of being public servants have to become
party servants for the ruling
parties. Today government agents of all political parties are present as
bureaucrats who, for fulfilling the interests of their masters, are ready to go
to any extent. They do not care for their dignity, nor do they fear the law.
Surely, working under these circumstances became impossible for me. So after
sufficient thought, I decided that why not become a part of a system where my
works are directly evaluated by the public and not by any corrupt officer or the
government.
Keeping
with this viewpoint, on 11 February, 2004, I resigned from the post of deputy
S.P. and in April 2004, contested elections from Varanasi Parliamentary
Constituency as an independent candidate. Though I lost the elections, 28,300
voters voted in my favour.
My
fight is on. Evaluation and Cooperation is in your hands.
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