BHOPAL: In the reshuffle of IPS officers, that took place after a long gap in the state, officers against whom there were complaints have been shunted out.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who completed his 11 years in office on Tuesday, also shifted IPS officers, who failed to maintain rapport with political leaders.
Chouhan did not discuss the postings with any officer of the home department. Only the DGP was taken into confidence.
Chouhan has given good postings to officers with clean image.
This has been done to send out the message that honest officers will be given preference in field postings.
In a first, additional director general of police (ADGP), senior superintendent of police (SSP), four superintendents of police (SPs) and an additional superintendent of police (ASP) posted in Indore have been transferred together. They have been replaced by a new team.
SSP Santosh Singh along with some police officers in Indore has been removed following dispute with the supporters of BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.
Singh, who is close to Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar, has been sent to Gwalior, which is Tomar’s constituency. In an attempt to streamline law and order, Harinarayan Chari Mishra, who was instrumental in putting a check on crimes in Gwalior, has been made SSP, Indore.
Director general (DG) Ajay Sharma’s posting in place of ADG Vipin Maheshwari at Indore has been done after much thought. Sharma enjoys the trust of chief minister.
The latter wanted to appoint such an officer to head the police set up in Indore who could manage the pulls and pressures of politicians.
Removal of Dhar SP Rajesh Hingarkar, who is close to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is seen as a big step. An attempt has been made to end the controversies over Lokayukta by posting Anil Kumar, who has an image of an honest officer, there.
Posting of Sidhartha Bahuguna, who is a fresh face for Bhopal, is also an attempt to control crime in state capital.
