UP police officer's departmental probe put on hold by HC

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday restrained the state government from going ahead with a departmental inquiry against suspended Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Amitabh Thakur.

The inquiry, the Lucknow bench of the court said, could only be held if the government provides the official with the 67 documents he has asked for.

The documents, the court directed, should be provided to Thakur within one month.

The bench of Justice S.S. Chauhan and Justice Anant Kumar gave this order after hearing Thakur and the chief standing counsel.

As the Uttar Pradesh government has prepared the charge sheet on the basis of these documents, it must provide these to the accused officer, the court ruled.

The court observed that the state government should allow Thakur to peruse the documents which are voluminous in nature.

On September 1, Thakur requested principal secretary (Home) for these documents so that he can defend himself, but has since been denied access to the papers which form the basis of the charge sheet and the proposed action against him.

The officer has been on the wrong side of the government ever since he lodged a first information report against Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, alleging the SP supremo threatened him on telephone.