Hyderabad, April 17: A Government Order transferring a senior police officer to a post that does not exist has set the ranks of the IPS aflutter in the State. The police boss didn’t know about it, intelligence men have no clue and at least three IPS officers affected by the posting are perplexed.
Confusion surrounds the posting of Rajiv Ratan (IPS 1991) to the post of `IGP, West Zone, Hyderabad region’ in the place of his senior Vinay Ranjan Ray.
Sources told Express that Ratan, who as recently as last month was posted as IGP (Training), was suddenly named to replace IGP Hyderabad Vinay Ranjan Ray (IPS 1985). The GO was issued yesterday.
Director-General of Police R R Girish Kumar was reportedly not aware of the transfer till the GO was placed before him. “Yetla?’’ (how come?) is how he reportedly reacted to the development, rather embarrassed that he had been kept in the dark.
It is learnt that the police chief was convening a meeting with the regional IGPs (in which Ray was also present) when the GO arrived on his table. The moment he read it out to the IGPs, an embarrassed Ray sought permission from the DGP to leave as he was `no more’ the IGP of Hyderabad region.
Intelligence officials went into a tizzy to find out how Ratan was named to the post without the knowledge of the DGP and IGP, Intelligence M Mahendar Reddy.
Astoundingly, the GO, while mentioning the names of Ratan and Ray clearly, states that Ratan has been posted as IGP, West zone, Hyderabad. Such a post does not exist.
But this is not the first time a GO has mentioned the name of the posting wrongly. Last month, when IG Greyhounds Anjani Kumar was given the posting of `IGP, Law and Order, Hyderabad’, one wondered whether a new post had been created for him.
The post of IGP (Law and Order) does exist, but it is for the entire State and not Hyderabad alone. The order was later cancelled.
The Government’s latest GO goof-up has left at least three IPS officers disappointed as they had been hoping to bag the IGP Hyderabad’s post. They are learnt to be hard at work to have the mixed-up GO cancelled and bag the post themselves.
–Agencies