Explanation sought from Noida SSP on leaking confidential letter: UP DGP

Uttar Padesh DGP O P Singh on Friday said an explanation has been sought from Noida Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna on the leaking of his purported confidential letter to the state government alleging a transfer-posting racket in the force.

At a hurriedly convened press conference in Lucknow, the Director General of Police said the SSP Noida has been given 15 days to explain whether he had flouted service rules by leaking out the missive.

Singh said the Inspector General of Meerut Range has been asked to investigate the matter. The DGP, however, declined to comment on the contents of the leaked letter.

Meanwhile, the Congress party demanded a judicial inquiry into the functioning of all government departments of the state alleging large-scale corruption in the UP police.

Congress's state unit president Ajay Kumar Lallu said an impartial inquiry into the case would expose some big names and bring out the "reality" of the BJP government in UP.

"The entire state is troubled by corruption and bribery. Complaints in this regard are received on a daily basis. Judicial inquiry should be conducted into the working of all the departments so as to rid the people of these problems," Lallu said in a statement in Lucknow.

Earlier in 2019, Noida SSP Krishna had alleged corruption in the ranks of UP Police, including serious charges of bribes for postings, and involves names of private persons with political connections.

The letter mentions that details of graft had emerged during the investigation of a case in which four people, some claiming to be journalists, were arrested in Noida on August 23, 2019.

The Noida police chief had also sent a report on some "very sensitive cases" related to corruption a month ago to the chief minister's office in Lucknow.

On December 30, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration had announced booking 128 members of three criminal gangs under the stringent UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 and initiated proceedings to attach their properties, in a bid to block their funding.

The decision was taken on the basis of a report prepared by the Noida police and the accused included kingpins of gangs involved in contract killing, extortion and various contracts relating to private businesses in Gautam Buddh Nagar.

DGP Singh on Friday also said that the probe into an objectionable video of the Noida SSP has been handed over to the SP of Hapur. The Noida police had earlier described the three purported clips as "morphed" and a conspiracy to defame the image of SSP Krishna.