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.
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."
Barely two months ago, a similar situation came to the fore in Ghaziabad's neighbouring Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), where the district magistrate cancelled transfers of seven SHOs effected by the SSP, triggering a cold war between the two cadres.
Trouble started after a May-9 order of the home department made it mandatory for all district police chiefs to take the approval of district magistrates before shuffling station house officers.
The order issued by Principal Secretary Kumar led to a sharp reaction from IPS officers who alleged it was an attempt to undermine their authority.
The IPS Association had expressed its reservations to the order in a tweet.
"Request @CMOfficeUP to withdraw the order requiring approval of DMs before posting SHOs. Order is in conflict with law laid down by Hon'ble Supreme Court and High Court. It displays distrust in the police leadership and will demoralise SPs. @PMOIndia @HMOIndia," the IPS body had tweeted.
The association had also raised the issue with Director General of Police OP Singh and urged him to take it up with the state government.
On June 24, on the request of IPS officers' association, the order was quashed by the principal secretary on the direction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Vaibhav Krishna told PTI today.
At present, only verbal consultation in between the DM and the SSP is required before transferring the SHOs, he said.
A senior IPS officer said the order vested more powers in the district magistrates and serves to undermine the authority of district police chiefs -- Superintendents of Police and Senior Superintendents of Police.
"The SPs and the SSPs will no longer be able to command the police force in their districts if the district magistrate is given these powers," the officer said.
On the other hand, an IAS officer said there appeared to be no intention of undermining the authority of the police force.
A similar situation arose last year when then Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar issued a letter, directing district magistrates to chair all law and order meetings in their respective districts.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)