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Will continue to serve society, but not as IPS: Kunwar Vijay Pratap
In Facebook post, 1998-batch IPS officer reiterates voluntary retirement decision despite Punjab CM rejecting his resignation
Hours after Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh rejected his resignation, inspector general of police Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who headed the special investigation team probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing cases, reiterated his decision to retire early.
“I will continue to serve society in the best possible manner. Not as IPS,” the 1998-batch Indian Police Service officer posted on Facebook, showing he is in no mood to relent. He added the words, Not as IPS, to his original post around 10.30pm.
Also read: SIT head Kunwar Vijay seeks early retirement, Amarinder says no
Kunwar, who was otherwise to retire in 2029, sent his application for voluntary retirement to Punjab chief secretary Vini Mahajan through DGP Dinkar Gupta’s office on April 11, a day after the Punjab and Haryana high court quashed the findings of the SIT report headed by him and told the state government that it can constitute a fresh team to probe the case but without Kunwar.
“I voluntary submit this application seeking retirement from service from April 15, 2021. It is requested to relax the three-month notice period in public interest,” he said in his resignation letter.
CM showers praise, says state needs officer’s services
Earlier on Tuesday, the chief minister issued a statement, rejecting his resignation. “He is a highly competent and efficient officer whose services are needed in the border state, especially at a time when Punjab is faced with internal and external security threats. The state needs the expertise and experience of the officer, who has contributed exceptional service to Punjab Police in important positions,” Capt Amarinder Singh said, describing him as a skilled, capable and courageous officer with an exemplary track record.
In this FB post, Kunwar quoted a revolutionary song on serving the nation by martyr Kartar Singh Sarabha: “Sewa desh di jinddhiye badhi aukhi, gallan karnia dher sukhalliyan ne, jinha desh sewa ’ch pair paya, ohna lakh museebtan jhalliyan.”
He wrote, “I did my part. No regrets. I request everybody not to glamourise or politicise the issue. Each and every sentence of my report and chargesheet is an evidence in itself. It can’t be negated in any manner. A guilty mind can’t dare to face the mirror of truth.”
He said he has filed an appeal “in the court of Guru Gobind Singh Ji for final verdict, the most superior court as per my wisdom the knowledge of law.”
Upset with handling of sacrilege cases
The officer was said to be upset with the handling of the sacrilege cases of 2015 by the state government and had expressed his disappointment in interviews to local web channels.
In one such interview, he claimed that he had to face tasshaddat (a turbulent state) while carrying out the probe because of the involvement of high-profile persons and was humiliated on a number of occasions to stop him from conducting the probe in an impartial manner.
However, there is no mention of the issue in the resignation letter. “I’m fully satisfied with my 22-year service with the Government of Punjab,” he wrote in his application or voluntary retirement.
