UP police corrupt, says senior cop

Disgruntled

A senior Uttar Pradesh police official created a flutter here by alleging that the entire state police, including its chief, was “corrupt”.

“Jis police ka mukhiya hi bina paise ke kaam nahin karta ho wahan neeche wale to bhrast hongey hi” (the lower rank official will naturally be corrupt in a police force, whose chief himself does not do any work without taking bribe), alleged V K Sharma, an officer of the UP Provincial Police Service (PPS) on Monday.Sharma, currently the circle officer (CO) in the PPS, alleged that he had been shunted out from several postings after he refused to succumb to the “illegal” demands of his superiors. “I am paying a heavy price for my refusal...I have not been paid my salary for the past three months,” he claimed.

Sharma, who was earlier posted as CO, city, at UP’s Etah district, alleged that he was shunted from there after he refused to exclude the names of a Samajwadi party (SP) leader, who was accused of killing two girls by setting them ablaze.“The district police chief wanted me to exclude the name of the leader saying that the local SP MLA had been exerting pressure on him but I refused and thereafter I was shunted out,” Sharma alleged.

The official said that his gunners were withdrawn and he was denied leave even though he had a nasty fall resulting in a fracture in his shoulder. “My pleas to the state police chief and other senior officials did not yield any results,” Sharma, who is nearing retirement after serving the state police force for 34 years, added.The remarks created a flutter among the senior police officials here.

Although Director General of Police (DGP) A C Sharma did not comment, his subordinates sprang to his defence. “The allegations are baseless...how can the DGP be concerned with such a matter...the charges are being levelled to create pressure on the DGP,” said Inspector General, law and order, B P Singh.
The district officials had been directed to look into the matter, he added.