Lucknow: In a major embarrassment to the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, two senior IPS officers have mysteriously gone missing after serious charges were slapped on them by the police.
Both the officers have now been declared absconding and non-bailable warrants against them have been issued now by the local courts.
On Thursday, the Lucknow court issued a non-bailable warrant against the deputy inspector general ( DIG) of PAC, Agra, Arvind Sen who is wanted in a corruption case.
The warrant was issued after the Allahabad High Court rejected his plea to quash FIR against him. He is accused of calling a complainant to his office and threatening him at the behest of the mastermind of the Animal Husbandry scam.
Sen was suspended in August charges of cheating and forgery against him emerged.
Another suspended IPS officer, Mahoba SP Mani Lal Patidar, was declared as proclaimed offender by the Lucknow court as they have been absconding in the death case of 44-year-old businessman Indra Kant Tripathi in September.
The Allahabad High Court had in November dismissed Patidar’s writ petition seeking quashing of an FIR against him and interim stay on his arrest. Two of his juniors are also absconding.
The developments have shocked the people especially the residents of Mahoba and Agra. Questions are being raised about their mysterious disappearance.
IP Singh, Samajwadi Party spokesperson, alleged, “Indicted officials are being shielded by the bureaucracy and the government both as they are all hand in gloves. They are not concerned about the reputation of the government. Over a dozen IPS and IAS officials are suspended in the state due to corruption charges which reveal the truth about Yogi’s administration.”
Lalan Kumar, UP Congress Media Chief, alleges, “The accountability lies on Home secretary Awaneesh Awasthi. He must resign immediately. In fact, CM’s entire team 11 is a blot and it must be disbanded to save the state. CM Yogi has miserably failed in controlling law and order although he holds the Home portfolio as well. His police are unable to trace their own officers indicted in serious cases. He must vacate the chair and return to his temple.”
Rejecting the opposition’s charges, BJP spokesperson Naveen Srivastava claims, “The government has taken action the duo, they are suspended, raids are being carried out at their homes. They are absconding for long as they know the modus operandi of the police and all loopholes. If any cop is leaking info to them, action will be taken against them as well.”
