Suspension of UP IPS officer invalid: Centre

In a move that is expected to trigger a face-off between the Centre and the Akhilesh Yadav government, the Union home ministry has called for revoking the suspension order of IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, terming as invalid the state government’s order formalising his suspension. Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Thakur said he has got “justice” from the NDA government as the state government did not review his suspension within the 90-day period and had issued an invalid order from a back date, which has been set aside by the MHA. Mr Thakur alleged he had been victimised by the UP government for taking on Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. He claimed he was targeted after his wife Nutan presented a complaint against Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, the state’s mining minister, to the state lokayukta.

The home ministry under Rajnath Singh stepped in after Mr Thakur made a quasi-judicial appeal to the government and has now paved the way for his reinstatement from March 31. Top sources in the ministry said the state government now must issue a posting order for Mr Thakur.

“I have got justice from the home ministry . I had been victimised because I took on the most powerful man in Uttar Pradesh but the Centre has given me justice,” the IPS officer said. The move came after the Allahabad high court directed Mr Thakur to appeal before the Central government for revocation of his suspension in accordance with the rules and procedures. Mr Thakur had approached the court in December last year.

Explaining the rules and procedures required to be followed for suspension of an IPS officer, sources in the MHA said that the suspension order has to be reviewed by a review committee chaired by the chief secretary within a set 90-day period.