IPS officer moved out for seizing buses

A senior IPS officer in Uttar Pradesh was divested of his authority after he seized hundreds of private illegal buses plying on the busy national highway between Moradabad and the Delhi border.

Sources said instead of carrying valid documents, these buses carried “letters” from Uttar Pradesh ministers which double up as “valid documents” when presented to the transport authorities.

Deepak Sharma, who was Inspector General at the Police Academy at Moradabad, had a few days ago been given the charge of four districts—Meerut, Sambhal, Bijnore and Amroha—and had been entrusted with the responsibility of controlling crime, implementing court orders and checking the movement of illegal commercial vehicles.
Soon after taking charge, Sharma conducted raids at several places in these districts.

During his inspection at Bijnore, he found hundreds of buses plying between the Delhi
border and Moradabad without valid permits.

“All these buses had letters on letterheads of ministers. The letters asked the transport authorities not to seize them and allow their unhindered movement,” said an official in Moradabad.

The IPS officer ordered the seizure of all such illegal buses.

Despite being “pressured by higher authorities” he refused to release the vehicles, said sources.

Sharma also asked the Moradabad division DIG to act against such buses, as they led to huge losses for the state exchequer.

Sources said the IPS officer had plans to conduct a similar inspection at Meerut as well over the next few days.

However, even before he could visit Meerut, he was divested of his charge of Meerut and Bijnore after influential politicians intervened.

Nothing new

Earlier, too, the UP government had buckled under pressure of politicians and transferred or suspended several officials considered upright.

IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal had been suspended after seizing hundreds of dumpers and acting against the sand mafia in Gautam Budh Nagar district.