Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 15
The airwaves went abuzz yet again following a supposed report about the Ministry of Home Affairs clearing the transfer of the Nagaland Police chief. The report doing the rounds since June 14 states that the incumbent will relieve charge and head to Delhi, while a Naga IPS officer of the Chhatisgarh cadre will assume the post of the DGP, Nagaland Police.
The report could not be attributed to any official source, except that it started circulating on social media. Officers at the PHQ, when contacted, expressed doubt on the credibility of the report.
Down the hierarchy opinions differed. One officer, quoting “reliable sources” said that the transfer of the DGP is as good as cleared by the MHA. Stating that it was approved on June 14, the officer added the order will be out soon. “Word has been that the transfer is almost approved but one cannot say for sure until and unless it is approved by the appropriate authority,” commented another.
The DGP was unavailable for comment. Messages to him remained unreturned.
The report of the transfer was followed by another which spoke of police personnel at the Nagaland Police Headquarters, Kohima proposing to rally at the PHQ on June 18 in solidarity with the incumbent DGP. The unverified report further stated that a ‘signature campaign’ will be carried out in tandem while inviting police personnel and the civil society to participate.
Asked on this, a senior officer said that there was report of a proposed assembly outside the PHQ on Monday to extend solidarity to the DGP. “But as far as the signature campaign is concerned, I haven’t heard any,” the officer added.
Later, a message purported to be the minutes of an “emergency meeting of PHQ staffs” held at the PHQ, Kohima on June 15 started circulating. It stated that the meeting was attended by the ministerial staff of the PHQ, the Nagaland Police Telecom Organisation (NPTO) and the Uniformed Services of Nagaland Police. It added that a course of action to facilitate the review of the transfer of the incumbent DGP was chalked out.
The course of action included petitioning the MHA en-masse to retain Rupin Sharma as DGP, Nagaland. Individual petitions, “duly signed to be submitted en-masse next Monday, on 18th of June 2018, after show of solidarity to be organised outside PHQ Complex at 1000 Hrs,” it said. It did not specify through which state authority the petitions will be submitted.
PHQ staffers, except senior officers, were made mandatory to attend the proposed “Solidarity Meet” and police units camped within Kohima were also requested to participate. “Non-affiliated organisations, such as NGOs, CSOs, Student bodies, Media Houses, etc to extend support and cooperation towards the solidarity meet,” it said.
Other Nagaland Police units/offices were also asked to organise “Solidarity Meets” in tandem at their respective headquarters.
Opinions differed when state police officers were asked to comment on the development.
One officer was of the opinion that the department cannot stop anyone from participating in the campaign if at all it is true.
Another officer, while stating that copies of the petition to be submitted en-masse were issued at the meeting, said that uniformed personnel participating in the proposed campaign would invite disciplinary action. “We are bound by the Service Conduct Rules and disciplinary action can be initiated if there is any violation,” the officer opined.
Echoing a similar view, another officer said that police personnel undertaking such a campaign will be going against the service conduct rules. As per the rules, uniformed personnel are not at liberty to band together and lobby unless it is related to a personal grievance, which must be addressed to the appropriate authority.
