Cuttack: As many as 211 police officials have been facing criminal cases against them from 2010 till August 2019. However, charge-sheets have so far been filed only in 51 cases, reveals an RTI query.
The accused officials include 17 sub-inspectors (SIs), 27 assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), 11 inspectors, a DSP, an OSD and an assistant commandant apart from 58 lower rank officials, said the query, adding that charge-sheets have been filed only in 24 per cent cases.
Sources said even though there is a certain timeframe to file the charge-sheets in cases, a few top-level officials of the state police have allegedly been dilly-dallying in filing the charge-sheets in an attempt to hush up the cases and help their colleagues.
According to the RTI query, in 2010, criminal cases have been registered against 18 police officials, while charge-sheets have been filed only in seven cases. Likewise, 23 criminal cases have been registered against the men in khaki, while charge-sheets have been filed only in seven cases in 2011.
Only three charge-sheets have been filed against 24 criminal cases registered against the police officials in 2012. In 2013, as many as 30 criminal cases have been registered against the police officials while charge-sheets were filed only in nine cases.
The situation was no different in 2014 wherein charge-sheets have been filed only in four cases out of the 25 cases against the police officials in the aforesaid year. Likewise, as many as 30 criminal cases have been registered against the cops in 2015 while charge-sheets were filed only in six cases, the RTI reply said.
In 2016, 19 cases of criminal offence were registered against the men in khaki while charge-sheets were filed only in four cases. Similarly, 24 police officials faced criminal charges against them in 2017, but charge-sheets were filed only in seven cases, it added.
In 2018, as many as 13 cases were registered against the police officials while charge-sheets were filed only in four cases. Interestingly, in 2019, five criminal cases have been registered against the police officials till August. However, not a single charge-sheet has been filed so far.