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‘Not fit for job’ : MHA orders premature retirement of IPS officer Basant Rath
The ministry of home affairs, in its office memorandum, issued by director Sushma Chauhan stated that “after careful consideration of the UT Division and the performance of Basant Kumar Rath, it has come to the conclusion that officer is not fit to be retained in service in public interest”
Less than a fortnight after extending his suspension for another six months till January next year, the Ministry of home affairs has handed over premature retirement to 2000-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Basant Kumar Rath in “public interest”.
The ministry of home affairs, in its office memorandum, issued by director Sushma Chauhan stated that “after careful consideration of the UT Division and the performance of Basant Kumar Rath, it has come to the conclusion that officer is not fit to be retained in service in public interest”.
“I am directed to refer to Police Division, MHA’s OM No 30012/01/2023-IPS-II dated August 7, 2023, and to say that the competent authority has approved the premature retirement of Basant Kumar Rath, IPS (AGMUT:2000) in public interest under Rule 16(3) of All India Services (Death-Cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958, with immediate effect by giving three-month pay and allowances in lieu of notice,” read an order of the MHA issued by Rakesh Kumar Singh, undersecretary on August 8.
“It is requested that a copy of the order may be served on Rath along with a cheque for a sum equivalent to the aggregate amount of his pay and allowances for a period of three months, calculated at the same rate at which he was drawing immediately before the order dated August 7, 2023. The cheque of requisite amount may be prepared by the Jammu and Kashmir administration and handed over to the officer along with the order to be served on him,” it read further.
Rath, known for his frequent run-ins with UT top cop Dilbag Singh, on Wednesday had levelled serious allegations against the latter, and urged President Droupadi Murmu to dismiss him from service.
In a six-minute video clip, posted on his Facebook page, Rath, accused DGP Dilbag Singh of “aiding drug peddling in Jammu.”
“Dilbag Singh is running a criminal syndicate and drug mafia in the UT,” alleged Basant in the video. He, however, did not produce any evidence to back up his allegations.
The officer also dared the DGP to file a defamation suit against him if his allegations are proved false.
Dilbag, on his part, declined to comment on the allegations levelled by Rath.
Basant Rath was first suspended in July 2020 for what was described as “repeated instances of gross misconduct and misbehaviour”. The Union home ministry extended his suspension for another six months in July 28 order, after the officer called his suspension “unscrupulous” and “unethical exercise”. Rath was shunted to the nondescript home guards and civil defence department from the traffic in November 2018 after a spat on Twitter with Junaid Mattu, who had just been elected Srinagar Mayor.
Meanwhile, Rath posted a long “Thank You” note on his Facebook page at 4.20 am on Thursday and has sought love and affection of the people of J&K as he braces up to enter political arena to “serve the people”.
He had been claiming all along that post-retirement, he would join the Bharatiya Janata Party to serve the people of J&K.
Registers online as BJP activist ; party says no place for indiscipline
Rath on Thursday registered himself as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activist online and sought blessings of people for what he called an “uphill trek called politics”.
The IGP-rank officer, who was under suspension for the past over three years for “repeated instances of gross misconduct and misbehaviour”, was given premature retirement by the government through a notification dated August 7. It was reported in the media on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Rath shared on social media a screenshot of a welcome note from the BJP for his joining the party online.
Reacting to Rath joining the party, the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi said, “Anyone can join as a member of the BJP using an online facility. It is the party leadership which finally takes a call whether the individual is inducted or given any responsibility in the party.”
He, however, added, “In BJP, there is no place for indiscipline. He (Rath) has been given premature retirement because of indiscipline.” Rath had announced his resignation from service in June last year and later expressed his wish to contest election against Omar Abdullah of the National Conference or Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) on a BJP ticket.
