Pandey, currently DG (Home Guards), is the second seniormost IPS officer in the state after DGP Subodh Jaiswal.SEVEN YEARS after he had made a representation to the state government seeking upgradation of his annual confidential report (ACR) rating, senior IPS officer Sanjay Pandey received an official response in April stating that a government panel has not accepted his representation.
Curiously, the letter came after the 1986-batch officer shot a missive to the government last month, alleging that he has been overlooked when it came to postings like that of Mumbai Police Commissioner and Director General (DG) of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). He went on to describe this as “arbitrary” and “illegal”.
An official from Mantralaya (secretariat) said that in 2012, Pandey had submitted a representation to the government stating that while his immediate superior had given him a good rating in his ACR, then DGP had slashed the same. As Pandey did not receive any reply from the government, he again wrote to the government stating that in the absence of any reply, he believed that the challenge to his ACR has been accepted.
“Recently, a committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary U P S Madan to look into the issue.
In April, Pandey was informed that his challenge to the ACR has not been accepted and that his grading would not be changed,” the official said.
Pandey, currently DG (Home Guards), is the second seniormost IPS officer in the state after DGP Subodh Jaiswal.
Before he came to know that his representation has been dismissed, in a five-page letter to the additional chief secretary (Home) and the chief minister last month, Pandey had said that since he was the second seniormost officer, he should have been considered for the posts of Mumbai Police commissioner and DG ACB.
“…these established positions as per law, too, have been completely overlooked in the recent appointment of DG ACB. Besides breaking established guidelines and conventions, as in the case of commissioner of police Mumbai, even established law as per Hon Courts is being overlooked. All this as per my view, based on facts, is being done to ensure that I remain on sidelines and suffer slow and gradual demise of my policing career for reasons unknown to me,” he had said.
Known to have investigated several high-profile cases, Pandey has in the past been at loggerheads with the state government when he was not promoted. He had approached the Bombay High Court against the state and eventually the court had ruled in his favour, following which, he was promoted as DG (Home Guards) in December 2017 from his earlier posting as additional director general (Home Guards).
When contacted, Pandey refused to comment on the issue.
