Jayaraman summoned for questioning, sticks to his stand

Siliguri police commissioner K Jayaraman, who had ruffled feathers in the government by arresting the Malda district magistrate on graft charges and in consequence was removed from his post, was today summoned by DGP G M P Reddy to the state secretariat for questioning even as he insisted that what he had done was right.

IAS officer and Malda district magistrate G Kiran Kumar was arrested by Jayaraman on Saturday for his alleged role in the misappropriation of development funds while he was the CEO of the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority in his last posting.

After about an half-an-hour meeting with the DGP at the Nabanna, the relocated state secretariat, Jayaraman said, "Whatever I have done I have done in the public interest. I stand by my position. I have no regret or repentance".

"I am in compulsory waiting now, but I will stay in the Bengal cadre and will also come to Nabanna. Whatever I have to say I have told the DG. I will not go on leave. Rather, I am waiting for my posting," he said.

Jairaman was removed from his post by the government following the Malda DM's arrest for not consulting the higher-ups in the administration before taking the IAS officer into custody.

He also met the inspector-general of police and the special IG.

Meanwhile, state Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra, home secretary Basudeb Banerjee and the DGP had a meeting today with commissioners of five police commisionerates in the wake of the Malda episode.

Kiran Kumar, who was remanded in police custody for four days, was today granted bail by a local court in Siliguri.

Jayaraman has been put on compulsory wait.

Claiming that a common procedure of taking the state government's permission or informing it before taking any action against such a senior officer was not followed in this instance, the chief secretary had told reporters here on Saturday, "The Siliguri Commissioner has exceeded his brief."

He further said that the arrest would have an "overall effect on the administration."