Lokayukta forces transfer ‘rollback’

Just two days after IG Ashok Awasthi was transferred from Lokyaukta's Special Police Establishment (SPE) and shifted to Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the state government cancelled the order and re-posted him at the SPE.

Updated on: Mar 13, 2013, 10:52:23 IST

Hindustan Times | By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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Just two days after IG Ashok Awasthi was transferred from Lokyaukta's Special Police Establishment (SPE) and shifted to Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the state government cancelled the order and re-posted him at the SPE.

The state government was forced to retract its decision, as the order was in violation of the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta Act, which clearly states that any posting needs to have the Lokayukta's nod. Besides, the IPS officers' deputation with the SPE can't be less than three years.

According to sources, the state government had transferred Awasthi without taking the consent of Lokayukta PP Naolekar and this was in violation of the Lokayukta Act. Ashok Awasthi had completed only two years in the Lokayukta office. And according to rules, deputation period of IPS officers could not be of less than three years.

Though there were speculations that raids on influential people was one of the reasons that he was transferred, insiders say that this is baseless as 59 police officers were shifted in the reshuffle affected on Sunday.

Talking to HT, Lokayukta Justice PP Naolekar said the transfer had taken place against the rules as the government can't recall him (the police officer) before completion of the three-year deputation period. Therefore the government cancelled his transfer. When asked whether the state government was not aware of the rules, the Lokayukta said, "I can't comment on the issue."

On the cancellation of his transfer, Ashok Awasthi said, "I was ready to leave. When I asked the Lokayukata justice PP Naolekar, he said that the transfer was done without his consent and against the Lokayukta Act and this is the only reason why the transfer order was revoked," he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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