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Assault on Anil Vij’s brother: State govt reinstates suspended DIG Ashok Kumar
In an order issued by additional chief secretary Rajiv Arora, the 54-year-old officer was reinstated at Ambala, where he was posted before the suspension
Ambala Two months after Ambala Range deputy inspector general (DIG), vigilance, Ashok Kumar, was suspended after being booked for allegedly assaulting Kapil Vij, the brother of Haryana home minister Anil Vij, the state government reinstated him on Thursday.
In an order issued by additional chief secretary Rajiv Arora, the 54-year-old officer was reinstated at Ambala itself. During his suspension announced on February 9, Kumar was posted at the office of RTC, Bhondsi in Gurugram.
His suspension order was issued on the day he was granted interim bail by the court of additional sessions judge Sundeep Singh that had asked him to join the investigation within three days.
The 2006-batch IPS officer was booked under various sections of the IPC on Feb 7 after a verbal spat with Kapil Vij. “I was attending a birthday party at Sirhind Club where Kumar was also invited. The officer under the influence of alcohol and without any provocation started abusing me and my family, and also threatened me of dire consequences. Kumar said he was DIG vigilance and nobody could harm him. He also made obscene gestures at me while leaving,” Kapil Vij had said in his complaint.
Kumar’s counsel Satinder Singh Garg, while appearing in the court denied the allegations and placed four photographs on record. Three purportedly showed Kumar was not having alcohol and the fourth showed complainant (Kapil Vij) sitting at a table with a glass of drink in front of him.
It was also alleged by Garg that the complainant was misusing the position of his brother Anil Vij and had rudely told Kumar to serve him at the party.
While, Kumar had joined the investigation after reporting to the Ambala Cantt police station two days after the court order, several protests by his community groups were held in neighbouring districts in his favour.
Kumar had been reportedly trying to bring an end to the controversy and had also met Anil Vij at his residence last month. However, both the parties refused to speak to the media on the issue.
