AMSU submits memorandum to Governor
expresses suspicion of undue pressure to ADGP Arvind Kumar who shot himself
Source: IT News
Imphal, August 18 2020:
The All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) has expressed suspicion of unbearable pressure to Additional Director General (Law and Order) of Police, Arvind Kumar for the reason to shoot himself on July 17, who survived fortunately.
"The unfortunate incident of 17 July 2020, in which Additional Director General (Law and Order) of Police Arvind Kumar shot himself in his office chamber was immediately after chairing the committee constituted to determine and recommend officers of the police department to be awarded in recognition of their good work", a memorandum submitted to the Governor of Manipur Dr Najma Haptulla stated.
The memorandum was submitted urging the governor to initiate a fair investigation to the conferring of gallantry award to police personnel involved in drug haul case.
In the memorandum submitted today, the AMSU appreciated the Government of Manipur for taking up prompt action of withdrawing the Chief Minister's Police Medal for Gallantly on the basis of our exposure of an SI CDO, Imphal East, who was earlier arrested for trafficking drugs.
It stated that the AMSU also note that a Committee consisting of K RadhaShyam Singh IGP (Intelligence), S Gautam Singh SP-CID (SB) and Joyce Lairemmawi SP-CID (CB) has been constituted to inquire into the lapses in connection with the proposal for award of Chief Minster's Medal submitted by SP Imphal East, however would like to state that the inquiry should not be just an eye wash to sanctify the key decision makers by scapegoating a few lower ranked police personnel.
"AMSU see more to this episode than just a clerical mistake of Inspector E Roshan Singh, Reader to Imphal East SP and would like to point out the following few issues.
AMSU has reliable reports of other police personnel listed in the Chief Minster Trophy for Anti-Drug Campaign and Chief Minster's Trophy for Community Service Award were also involved in drug haul cases and shielding off drug kingpins.
They were even suspended from service and subsequently reinstated.
The present inquiry should examine this aspect of the how the terminated / suspended police personnel were reinstated into service and rise up to get gallantry award.
This is not the first time that such a goof-up is taking place in the gallantry award issue.
In the recent past many police personnel involved in fake encounters were conferred gallantry awards on the occasion of Republic Day and Independence Day.
But subsequently many of them were charge-sheeted under the behest of the Supreme Court of India in EEVFAM v/s Uol .
Therefore, there is a need of transparency in the process of recommendation and selection of all the gallantry awardees and to place their dossier/ citations in the public domain", the memorandum stated.
The AMSU urged the governor to intervene by ensuring that the mandate of the inquiry is wide enough to encompass the three critical issues/questions and it should be headed by a person no less than a retired Judge of the High Court.