Centre to strip off medals of IPS officers who took part in Mamatas ‘dharna’

New Delhi: The central government ostensibly planning to strip honors and medals conferred on the IPS officers who took part in the three-day-long ‘dharna’ called by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Sunday against the CBI team's bid to question the Kolkata top cop, Rajeev Kumar, in connection with the Saradha chit fund and Rose Valley ponzi scheme.

The Union government, said to have, also decided to bar the said officers from central deputation.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has also asked the West Bengal government to take action against such officers. The Home Ministry's letter to the state government was reportedly sent after West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi submitted his report to the Centre on the standoff between Mamata Banerjee government and the CBI.

The officers under scanner are:

-Shri Virendra, IPS (WB:85) DGP, Govt of West Bengal

-Shri Vineet Kumar Goyal, IPS (WB:94), Director, Security (in the rank of ADG)

-Shri Anuj Sharma, IPS (WB:91), ADG (Law & Order)

-Shri Gyanwant Singh, IPS (WB:93), CP, Bidhannagar Commissionerate (in uniform)

-Shri Supratim Sarkar, IPS (WB:97), Addl. CP-III, Kolkata Police

The Centre's directive to the state government to pull up the "delinquent" officers is likely to escalate the tension between the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee government as the order is likely to impact most of the top-ranking officers of the state police.

Previously, the Rajnath Singh-led Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier ordered the West Bengal government to take action against Kolkata Commissioner of Police, Rajeev Kumar, for violating the All India Service (Conduct) Rules by sitting on a 'dharna' organised by CM and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.

The West Bengal CM, who got backing from several opposition parties over the course of the next three days, decided to call off her protest on Tuesday after the Supreme Court ordered that CBI not to take coercive action against Kumar and also asked the Kolkata Commissioner of Police to appear before the CBI and cooperate in its probe.

Welcoming the Supreme Court’s verdict in a CBI plea against Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that “it is our moral victory”. She ended up her protest saying that it is victory for the Constitution and democracy, so, let us end it today.

The apex court directed Kumar to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Saradha chit fund case at a “mutual place” and asked the agency not to take any coercive action against the officer, including arrest.