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Political leaders recommend cops’ transfers shows leaked list
The list is being circulated on social media.
Transfers in the state police department are done on the recommendations of politicians, a list from the police headquarters circulating on social media, has revealed.
The list for transfers of 145 sub-inspectors has a separate column to show which politician or political office has recommended the movement.
The list shows that five of the transfers were recommended from none less than the chief minister’s office (CMO).
There are recommendations from ministers, parliamentarian, legislators and parliamentary secretaries. This discounts recommendations from the home department and senior police officials.
According to the list, there are five recommendations are from the CMO, four each from ministers and legislators, seven from parliamentarians and two from parliamentary secretaries.
The letter from the state police headquarters is dated January 4, and has been sent to district superintendents of police), deputy commissioners of police (headquarters) and to Jaipur and Jodhpur police commissioners.
The letter seeks information about the sub-inspectors before they can be transferred on the basis of the recommendations, is also mentioned in the letter.
Former police officers said it was a common practice for staff seeking transfers to get letters of recommendations from ministers and public representatives but this probably is the first time that such a thing has become public.
The list has caused consternation among the top echelons of the home department with the home minister himself saying that this was unjustified. “I am out of station and have not seen the list but if such thing has happened, it is unjustified,” Gulab Chand Kataria said over phone.
Rajasthan police chief OP Galhotra said, “People might make recommendations but it is for the department to look at the merits.”
“Transfers in the police departments are done on merit.”
One of the legislators mentioned on the list, who did not wish to be named, said, “As a public representative it is our duty to write recommendation letters for people from our constituency.”
“These recommendations are not binding on departments.”
State Congress president Sachin Pilot said that the BJP government wanted to politicize the police and called it unfortunate.
Linking the list to upcoming elections, he said the government was planning to misuse the police in view of its impending defeat. Pilot said police stations are an important unit in maintaining the law and order, and postings on the basis of political remunerations are against the public interest.
