Bhubaneswar: Director General of Police (DGP), Abhay, has taken disciplinary action against two errant officers who had visited Puri to witness Rath Yatra June 23, brazenly violating the prohibition orders by the state government.
The DGP Tuesday informed Orissa POST, which had highlighted the incident in its June 28 edition, that strict departmental proceedings have been initiated against the two senior police officers for misuse of power.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that the officers will face several departmental proceedings for the indiscipline like they would be denied a promotion at least for the next five years as their service books might get censured. The DGP also informed about issuing show-cause notices against the two officers who, if failed to give a satisfactory answer, have to undergo various departmental proceedings.
However, activists alleged that the under the warp action against the two of its most influential officers by state police is to save them. The two officers for their good rapport with higher officers escaped strict action while the IIC of Barchana police station, Deepak Kumar Jena, faced suspension for the same reason of violating Covid-19 guidelines.
The activists have urged the DGP to suspend the two officers for the misdeed rather taking some minor departmental action which is just an eyewash.
Notably, highly-placed sources revealed that one Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) deployed at Khurda and an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) in Bhubaneswar Urban Police District of Commissionerate Police had visited Puri during Rath Yatra despite the prohibitory orders after the Supreme Court directions for the Rath Yatra.
Following the incident, June 24, the state police, in haste, released an advisory restricting the visit of cops who were not on Rath Yatra duty to not visit Puri apparently to avoid any further embarrassment.
The officers also did not visit Puri alone but were accompanied by some journalist friends from Bhubaneswar.
The errant officers also reportedly clicked selfies with their scribe friends near the chariots with scant regard to the imposition of Section 144 in Puri.