Uttar Pradesh Police demotes officer to constable. Here's why

Deputy Superintendent Kripa Shankar Kanaujiya has now been assigned to the 26th Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) battalion in Gorakhpur..

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday reportedly demoted a police officer to the rank of constable, three years after he was caught in a ‘compromising situation’ with a female constable in a hotel room.

Uttar Pradesh Police (Image used only for representation)

At the time of the incident, Kripa Shankar Kanaujiya, a promotee Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) was the Circle Officer (CO) of Bighapur in Unnao. He has now been assigned to the 26th Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) battalion in Gorakhpur.

The incident

On July 6, 2021, Kanaujiya went ‘missing’ after his leave, which he sought for ‘family reasons,’ got approved. However, instead of returning home, he checked into a Kanpur hotel with the female constable.

To make himself untraceable, the now-demoted officer, switched off both his private and personal mobile numbers. However, concerned with his sudden disappearance, Kanaujiya's wife reached out to Unnao's Superintendent of Police.

Swinging into action, the surveillance team of Unnao Police discovered that the then Circle Officer's mobile phone had stopped functioning after he reached the hotel in Kanpur. Upon arriving at the hotel, an Unnao Police team found the duo together; that Kanaujiya and the constable were caught on CCTV entering the hotel, also provided a crucial evidence for the subsequent investigation.

Following the incident and the resulting probe, a report was submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government. After a thorough review, the government recommended reverting Kripa Shankar Kanaujiya to the rank of constable.