Mayawati govt cracks whip on police, suspends IPS, dismisses SHO

Lucknow, May 24 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government today suspended Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bulandshahar V K Singh, shifted DIG (Meerut) range Prabhat Kumar and dismissed an SHO in Balrampur in the wake of murder of a former block pramukh and a Dalit leader Rakesh Kumar Balmiki last night.

The government also issued warnings to four SSPs.

''The actions manifest the government's resolve to take stern action against the erring police officials and it should go down as a message loud and clear in the police department,'' State Director General of Police (DGP) Girdhari Lal Sharma told newspersons here.

He said ''The Bulandshahar SSP, though posted on May 15 last, was found wanting in execution of his duties as the district police chief,'' the DGP said.

Mr Sujit Kumar Pandey, Commandant 47th Battallion PAC at Ghaziabad, has been posted as the new District Police Chief of Bulandshahar. It is his third transfer witnin two weeks.

Meanwhile, Mr Prashant Kumar, till now the DIG, Police Headquarters, Allahabad, will be the new Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Meerut range, swapping posts with Mr Kumar.

Mr Sharma said that SSPs of Meerut, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar and Gautambudh Nagar (Noida) have been handed over strict warnings to improve law and order in a fortnight or be ready to face the music.

In another stringent action, Station House Officer of Utraula Rajendra Pratap Singh has been dismissed from the services on the charge of negligence in the duty which led to killing of a Dalit youth in Balrampur district yesterday.

Meawnhile, chief minister Mayawwati has directed the Princiapl Secretary (Home) and DGP to undertake tours to zonal police headquarters to review the law and order in the state starting next week.

UNI