AMSU draws attention of Governor
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 18 2020: Following the withdrawal of the Chief Minister's Police Medal for Gallantry from a cop accused of trafficking drugs worth crores of rupees in 2013, the All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) has now claimed that it has "reliable reports" that other police personnel listed for the Chief Minister's awards were also involved in other drug haul cases and shielding of drug kingpins.

In a letter to Governor Najma Heptulla for her intervention in the matter that has come to light, the student body further claimed that the police personnel were also suspended and reinstated subsequently.

The inquiry committee instituted to investigate the matter should be headed by a retired Judge of the High Court and it should investigate "how suspended police personnel were reinstated into service and rise to get gallantry award," said AMSU.

The student body noted 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 Minister's Police Medal submitted by SP Imphal East.

Appreciating the Government for its prompt action after the 2013 drug case involving the cop identified as B Debson was exposed, the student body in its letter stressed that "the inquiry should not be just an eyewash to sanctify the key decision makers by scapegoating a few lower ranked police personnel.

AMSU sees more to this episode than just a "clerical mistake of Inspector E Roshan Singh, Reader to Imphal East SP", it said.

"AMSU has reliable reports that other police personnel listed in the Chief Minister's Trophy for Anti-Drug Campaign and Chief Minister's Trophy for Community Service Award were also involved in drug haul cases and shielding of drug kingpins.

They were even suspended from service and subsequently reinstated.

The present inquiry should examine this aspect of how the suspended police personnel were reinstated into service and rise to get gallantry awards," said AMSU.

This is not the first time that such a "goof-up" has taken place.

In the recent past, many police personnel involved in alleged fake encounter cases were conferred gallantry awards on the occasion of Republic Day and Independence Day.

Many of them were charge-sheeted at the behest of the Supreme Court in EEVFAM v/s Union of India.

Therefore, there is a need for transparency in the process of recommendation and selection of all the gallantry awardees and to place their dossier citations in the public domain, said AMSU.

AMSU then asserted that the "unfortunate" incident of July 17, in which Additional Director General Police (Law and Order), Arvind Kumar allegedly shot himself in his office chamber, was immediately after he chaired the committee constituted to determine and recommend officers of the Police Department to be awarded.

"There is a need to inquire if there is any connection between the doubtful processes in question with the drastic action of the senior officer," said AMSU.

Asserting that there is a "blame game" going on within the Police Department, the student body urged the Governor to intervene and ensure all the matters and issues it has brought before her are investigated by the inquiry committee.

Reacting to AMSU's claim, the Police Department has clarified that "there are no adverse/criminal records against the recipients of the Chief Minister's Trophy for Anti-Drug Campaign" .

However, the inquiry committee led by IGP (Int) will be looking into this matter and the committee will be submitting their findings early, said a statement of W Basu Singh, Superintendent of Police/NAB, PRO Police Department.

"Regarding EEVFAM v/s GoI-it is hereby clarified that the matter is subjudice," it said.

Further regarding the July 17 incident involving Additional DGP (L&O) Arvind Kumar, the Police Department said "..it is very unfortunate that the AMSU has maliciously brought up this matter when the senior Police Officer is still battling for his life in a hospital in New Delhi and this smacks of insensitivity and desperation on the part of the student body which is highly uncalled for" .

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