A massive rejig of as many as 136 assistant sub inspectors (ASIs) of police within the Palamu district by SP Palamu Ajay Linda has evoked interest and curiosity both here. Police sources said the entire exercise of reshuffling of 136 ASIs was wrapped in utter confidentiality and it took nearly two weeks time for the confidential section of the SP’s office to work out on it.
Linda said, “My confidential section went about it. It was kept very confidential. The order of transfer was issued on October 13. All 136 officers have been asked to comply with the order in 48 hours of the receipt of the notification.”
Asked that ASIs are generally the IOs (Investigating officers) of criminal cases and are to submit diary in the courts of law and this rejig may affect the course of investigation and submission of diary in the courts which may incur the displeasure of the court to which Linda said these officials have been asked to get their tasks well done and hand over it to the officials who are their replacements as well.
The SP was asked straight if there was any report of ASIs here ‘developing vested interests’ which were in conflict with the policing to which Linda said very strongly, “Had any sign or symptom of developing any vested interests by ASIs come to me I would have immediately suspended such cops. There is nothing like vested interest factor behind this reshuffling.”
Asked if these shuttling of ASIs was prompted by any administrative reason or it was done so to perk up the law and order enforcement Linda gave a very detailed answer to it saying that the transferred ones are those who were at one place of posting for more than 2 years or so. There were ASIs who had near 3 years posting at one police institution. Quite candidly SP said a long posting at one place can make anyone lax or placid and so draw the energy out of him transfers are done as new place of posting means new challenge to meet.
The SP denied that any politician of any political hue phoned him for retention of the ASIs at any particular place.
However he said a few transferred ASIs have given written applications citing their problems like that of family or their health which are under consideration as Linda reiterated, “I have not drawn a line on stone that cannot be broadened further.”
He said there were ASIs who were performing duties only in naxal hit areas and had no opportunity to perform duty in urban/ semi urban police institutions and such faces have been taken out from naxal zones and placed elsewhere but ability, skill, capacity of an official have not been overlooked in reshuffling.
