J-K IPS officer suspended on charges of ‘gross misconduct and misbehaviour’

Jammu and Kashmir cadre IPS official Basant Rath (right) has been suspended. (File photo)

Basant Rath, an official with the Jammu and Kashmir cadres, was suspended with immediate effect in connection with “repeated cases of misconduct and misconduct,” the Interior Ministry (MHA) said in an order.

The order also stated that the 2,000-batch IPS officer cannot leave the headquarters without obtaining permission from the J&K Director General of Police.

“It is further ordered that during the period in which this order remains in force, the seat of Shri Basant Rath is Jammu, the territory of the Union of Jammu and Kashmir and said Shri Basant Rath not leave said seat without obtaining the permission of DGP, J&K Police ”, said the order.

The latest order comes fifteen days after J&K police received a complaint from Rath against the Union Territory’s main police DGP Dilbag Singh for an alleged threat.

On June 24, Rath fired a written complaint to the SHO at the Gandhi Nagar Police Station in Jammu District and urged the officer to “take note of my apprehensions about my life, liberty, and bald head.”

The “reason,” Rath wrote, is “certain activities of Sh. Dilbagh Singh, IPS, 1987 batch, currently DGP, UT of J and K”.

Making it clear that he is doing it “as a private citizen”, in his “personal capacity”, and not as a public official or police officer, Rath wrote: “I am not asking you to file an FIR against the named person.” I only ask that you make this letter a part of the diary at your police station. Today. Now.”

He wrote: “In case something bad happens to me, you should know who to dial …” Rath, posted as IGP, Home Guard, at J&K, marked a copy of the written complaint to DGP Singh.

Promoted as IGP in 2018, Rath became popular with people for its effective traffic regulation at J&K.

But despite a large number of followers, especially among young people, his period as IGP-Traffic was short-lived. While disciplining traffic and making the roads in J&K safer for pedestrians, he is said to have had trouble with some powerful and high-ranking politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers.

Rath was transferred to his current position after a meeting with Srinagar Municipal Corporation Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu last year.