Uttar Pradesh: IPS officer absconding for two years carrying reward, surrenders in court

Lucknow: Infamous officer of Indian Police Services (IPS) Uttar Pradesh cadre, Manilal Patidar, absconding for the last more than two years finally surrendered in court on Saturday. The UP Police had announced a reward of Rs one lakh on IPS Patidar. The IPS surrendered in the court of Additional District Judge (ADJ) Sessions Court, Lucknow, Lokesh Varun. The court has given judicial remand for 14 days to the IPS officer and sent him to jail. The lawyers Ashwarya Pratap Singh and Randhir Singh appearing for Patidar pleaded in the court that he was innocent and framed in a fake case.

It may be mentioned that the state government had suspended 2014 batch IPS officer Manilal Patidar on September 9, 2020 on the charges of corruption. A case of instigating stone crusher owner Indrakant Tripathi for suicide was also lodged against him while the IPS was posted as Superintendent of Police in Mahoba district of UP. The stone crusher owner had sustained bullet injuries in Mahoba and it is alleged that all this happened due to an extortion racket run by the police. He succumbed to bullet injuries during treatment. However, a day before the attack on him the stone crusher owner had released a video accusing IPS Patidar of extorting money from him and apprehended a threat to life. In the video, Indrakant had accused IPS Patidar was asking him to pay Rs 6 lakh or face action. After his death, the family members lodged FIR against the IPS and four other police officials.

After this incident, the state government conducted an enquiry into the allegations and suspended Patidar. The IPS did not turn up in court despite repeated summons sent to him. Finally, he was declared absconder and a cash reward of Rs one lakh was announced on him.