UP govt issues chargesheet against IPS officer Amitabh Thakur

Lucknow, July 15:Suspended IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, who had lodged a complaint against SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for allegedly threatening him, was today slapped with a chargesheet by UP government accusing him of dereliction of duty, anti-establishment approach and flouting court orders.

The officer, who has been charged with indiscipline and indulging in anti-government activities, said he would submit his reply “on each of the 15 counts soon”. Thakur said he would move court in a day or two seeking a CBI inquiry into all developments after his wife Nutan Thakur, who is an RTI activist, lodged a complaint against mining minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati to the Lokayukta.

Thakur was suspended on July 13 by the Akhilesh Yadav government hours after he had approached the Union Home Ministry in Delhi seeking a CBI probe into the rape charges filed against him after he lodged a complaint against Mulayam for allegedly threatening him.

The state home department prepared the charge sheet and handed it over to Director General, Civil Defence, Kamlendra Prasad, an official spokesman said on Wednesday. Thakur was IG Civil Defence posted here at the time of his suspension.

During the suspension period, Thakur will remain attached to the DGP office and will not leave the headquarters without prior permission, he said.

The state home department spokesman said government has charged Thakur with violating court orders.

“In its order passed on April 9,2014, the court had stated that the petitioner (Amitabh Thakur) is serving as an IPS officer and is bound by the rules of conduct. As a serving IPS officer he is on duty 24 hours. The court had observed that he may not be allowed to take up public causes which do not concern him and in which the state may be involved directly or indirectly. In clear violation of the high court order, Thakur continued to file PILs in the court. He filed over two dozen PILs in the court on various issues,” he said, adding the state was directly involved in several of them.

“This clearly shows that Thakur indulged in gross indiscipline and was acting according to his whims and fancies. He was also busy using his resources and time in anti-government activities,” the spokesman said.

When contacted, Thakur told PTI, “I have received the charge sheet and will be obeying government orders. I will be joining the DGP office tomorrow.” Thakur had gone to New Delhi to meet officials of the Union Home Ministry seeking security for himself and his wife and returned to the state capital today.

PTI