‘Indicted cops won’t be reinstated into force’

Even as the eleven policemen — who have been convicted by a sessions court for the fake encounter of Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya — have got their punishment, suspension for six months, the chances of them being reinstated in the police department is slim, said a senior official from the home department.

Having said that, the home department has not made an official statement in this regard. This correspondent also sent a text message to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai police commissioner Ahmed Javed on Friday, asking them about the chances of the officers being reinstated in the police force, but got no reply. Principal secretary Vijay Satbir Singh, however, said that the matter has not come up for discussion yet.

Another home department official, speaking off the record, said, “No I don’t think they will be reinstated as they have been convicted for a very serious crime.”

“In other cases where government servants have been convicted and still keep their jobs are from the ACB. They are convicted for taking bribes and since their appeal is pending in the high court they are allowed to keep their jobs.”

Speaking on the issue Mr Singh said, “I want to clarify that the punishment of the eleven policemen has been suspended and not remitted. “They had given an application to us some months ago. The decision has been taken after the very sessions court that punished them didn’t raise objection for about eight of them.”

“But the Mumbai police commissioner, suburban collector as well as the additional director general of prisons didn’t raise any objection on all of them. Moreover, the National Human Rights Commission was also in favour of granting them relief. “Also, every case is decided on its merits/demerits, circumstances and facts. Its not something unprecedented and I have been told that the special powers of suspending one’s punishment has been invoked in the past,” he added.