Jaipur, Oct 13 The Rajasthan government on Tuesday suspended Weir SHO Dhirendra Singh and placed two senior police officers under awaiting posting orders (APO) following the killing of former BJP MLA Atar Singh Bhadana in Bharatpur district.
The action came after Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma chaired a high-level meeting to review the law and order situation in the state in the wake of recent incidents and allegations of misconduct by police personnel.
Following the meeting, the police department suspended one officer, placed six officers under APO and removed two others from their posts.
In connection with the Bharatpur incident, Weir SHO Singh was suspended, while Additional Superintendent of Police Prerna Shekhawat and Bhusawar Circle Officer Neeraj Bhardwaj were placed under APO.
Bhadana died on Sunday after being allegedly attacked in Bhonda village by a group of villagers following a dispute over restarting a stone crusher, police earlier said.
At the review meeting, Chief Minister Sharma expressed displeasure over the recent incidents and directed senior police officials to ensure strict disciplinary action against personnel found negligent or involved in misconduct.
“The law is equal for everyone. No criminal, whoever he may be, will be spared under any circumstances,” he said.
Sharma directed the police to prepare district-wise lists of disputes related to mining and land, and formulate action plans to resolve them.
He also asked officials to take strict action against mafias.
He said the conduct of a few police personnel could damage the image and credibility of the entire police force.
The chief minister also directed officers to strengthen monitoring and accountability to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
He also instructed police to maintain strict law and order arrangements during the upcoming festive season, ensure proper traffic management and take prompt action even in minor disputes to prevent them from escalating.
Sharma asked officials to ensure the effective functioning of Kalika patrolling units for women’s safety and their regular interaction with students in schools and colleges.
Among the other officers placed under APO was Ajmer Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Anju Yadav who had slapped an advocate over a matter of car parking.
Besides, Sambhar Circle Officer Mukesh Joshi, Sri Ganganagar Circle Officer Vishnu Kumar Khatri and Jaipur Police Commissionerate Inspector Mukesh Kharadia were also placed under APO in different matters.
Additional Superintendent of Police Brijmohan Meena, posted with the Special Investigation Unit for Crime Against Women in Jaipur Rural, and Khairthal Additional Superintendent of Police Jaya Singh were removed from their posts.
The review meeting was attended by Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Bhaskar A Sawant and other senior officials.
Bhadana was attacked with sticks and stones along with his associate Gagan Sharma when he visited his stone crusher site in Bhonda village.
Both sustained serious injuries and were initially taken to a hospital in Weir. Bhadana was later referred to Jaipur’s SMS Hospital, where he died during treatment.
Police said villagers had accused Bhadana of encroaching on grazing land and carrying out illegal mining activities. The crusher had remained closed for about a year, and attempts to restart it had led to further disagreements.
Villagers claimed they had been staging a peaceful protest for the past 10 to 15 days against the proposed reopening of the crusher. They alleged that Bhadana arrived at the site with around 40 to 50 people and tried to remove them from the protest site, following which a confrontation broke out. Both sides accused each other of assault.
(PTI News)
