Fissures in UP IAS, IPS ties reappear over SHO postings issue

Signs of strain between IAS and IPS officers have resurfaced in Uttar Pradesh on the issue of posting of station house officers with Ghaziabad district magistrate Ritu Maheshwari questioning the senior superintendent of police for not seeking her approval before transferring three SHOs.

The matter pertains to SSP Vaibhav Krishna transferring SHOs of Murad Nagar, Masuri and Sihani Gate police stations on June 25.

Sources said the three transferred SHOs have joined their new postings.

Following the transfer order, the district magistrate sent a letter to the SSP seeking an explanation for not taking her recommendation. However, the DM today said she did not write any letter to the higher authorities recommending punitive action against the SSP.

"No letter has been forwarded by me to the government for initiating any action against the SSP. The letter written to the SSP was just a formal query and internal matter of two departmental heads. This matter is a closed chapter now," she told PTI.

SSP Krishna, however, said he has written to Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar requesting he be transferred from Ghaziabad.

I wrote the letter because I am feeling uneasy and finding myself helpless in transferring the SHOs. Due to this, law and order works are being hampered in the district," he said.

When contacted, the principal secretary sought to downplay the entire issue, saying there was no problem.

"Koi tussle nahi hai... (There is no tussle)," he told PTI. "You need not worry. There is no tussle, and the issue in closed. I don't want to comment on this anymore."