Two suspended IPS officers in UP reinstated

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has reinstated two senior suspended IPS officers -- DIG Anant Deo Tiwari and Superintendent of Police Pawan Kumar.

While Tiwari, a 2006-batch officer, was suspended on November 12, 2020 for alleged role in posting and shielding of police officials who were hand in glove with slain don Vikas Dubey, Kumar, a 2009-batch IPS officer from Rajasthan, posted in Ghaziabad, faced action for dereliction of duty in March 31 this year.

A senior official at the DGP headquarters confirmed the reinstatement of the two officers.

DIG Anant Deo Tiwari, a PPS officer, was promoted to IPS cadre in 2006. He was Kanpur SSP just before Bikru carnage and DIG, Special Task Force, when the incident took place.

It may be recalled that eight police personnel were killed when they went to the Bikru village on July 3, 2020 to arrest gangster Vikas Dubey.

Later, the SIT formed by the government for a probe, in its report had also reportedly shown that Anant Deo was 'soft' while acting against slain don Dubey.

The manner of posting of Vinay Tiwari as Chaubeypur SHO was also questioned by the SIT, led by additional chief secretary Sanjay Bhoosreddy.

The government had shunted him to PAC on July 8 after an old audio of Deputy Superintendent of Police Devendra Mishra, who was later killed in Bikru shootout, emerged in which he was seeking action against Chaubeypur SHO during a chat with Anant Deo, then Kanpur SSP.

The then Chaubeypur SHO Vinay Tiwari was arrested after his complicity with Vikas Dubey was prima facie established.

One Jaikant Bajpai, who has been identified as the financier of Vikas Dubey and is at present in jail, reportedly frequented Anant Deo when the latter was Kanpur police chief. Bajpai has posted several pictures of him along with Anant Deo clicked inside the SSP office.

Meanwhile, Ghaziabad police chief Pawan Kumar, who has received two awards for services in the past, was suspended for dereliction of duty and failing to control crime.

Pawan Kumar was also accused of illegally detaining BJP workers on March 10, the day counting for the UP Assembly election was taking place.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Anil Agarwal and mayor Asha Sharma were reportedly detained by the police and were taken to a police outpost.

However, Pawan defended his men later on when his response was sought on the matter and told senior officials of the home department that the officers were following the instructions and not allowing people who did not hold a valid pass from entering into the counting centre.