‘What I got is far higher than parade, I stood by values, integrity of police dept'
On the last day of his service, outgoing DGP Atul Verma termed his affidavit submitted in the Himachal Pradesh High Court in the abetment to suicide case of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (HPPCL) chief engineer Vimal Negi based on facts.
He added that he had prepared it with honesty and to maintain the integrity of Himachal Pradesh police.
Talking to The Indian Express, the DGP said that it was not the first time that his affidavit was accepted by the court of law on the basis of merits. 'Earlier in June-July last year, one of my affidavit filed in the HC in the matter of Palampur-based businessman Nishant Sharma, who alleged threat to his life by the serving and retired police officials, was also accepted by the former Chief Justice,' he said.
The 1991 batch IPS officer, however, declined to reply if he was under pressure to make changes in the affidavit filed in the chief engineer's death.
When asked about SP Shimla Sanjeev Gandhi's allegations that his office staff was involved in drug peddling, Verma said, 'Who stopped him to act against anyone? Anybody can investigate any allegation. The guilty should be punished.'
On being pointed out that he was not given an official farewell parade, the outgoing DGP said, ' What I received today is far higher than the parade. I stood by the values, integrity and honesty of an institution (police department).'
Elaborating on the affidavit, Verma added that it was prepared in the presence of three senior police officers, including two of ADGP rank. 'If somebody has a problem with it then he/she can challenge it in the court of law,' he said.
He, however, chose not to comment when asked why he was being sent on leave and why his recommendation to suspend the Shimla SP was not accepted. 'You should ask these question to the state government,' he said.
A senior police officer said, 'Although Verma was given a customary farewell in the police headquarters, the farewell parade and the official farewell party was not organised due to certain reasons. All senior police officers posted in the headquarters were present at the moment when DGP Verma left the police headquarters.'
Verma along with Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Onkar Sharma and Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi were asked to proceed on leave with immediate effect reportedly due to the fallout of their contradictory replies filed in the HC pertaining to the HPPCL chief engineer death case. While Verma and Sharma proceeded on casual leave, Gandhi went on medical leave.
Meanwhile, state government Saturday ordered DGP (Vigilance and ACB) Ashok Tiwari, 1994 batch IPS officer, who is already looking after the additional charge of DGP Himachal Pradesh, will also take charge of DGP (Head of Police Force) with immediate effect. ADGP (Law & Order) Abhishek Trivedi, a 1996 batch IPS officer, was given the additional charge of ADGP (Prisons department) on Saturday.
Hours after outgoing DGP Atul Verma issued recommendation of DGP Disc Award-2024 for 172 police personnel, officiated DGP Ashok Tewari withdraw the order with immediate effect on Saturday. The communication issued from the office of DGP Ashok Tewari states, 'The order issued regarding awarding of DGP Disc to the officer/officials is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
14 minutes ago
- India Today
Bangladesh election: Is Yunus just buying time amid political pressure?
Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh, on Friday addressed the nation and declared that elections would be held in the first half of April 2026. The announcement runs counter to the demands of polls in December by a host of parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is the frontrunner to win the election. The situation of uncertainty in Bangladesh improves just marginally with Yunus' the Communist Party of Bangladesh insisted on polls in December, the student-led National Citizens Party (NCP) said it was fine with polls in April if effective steps were taken to implement the July Charter, July Declaration and reforms by then, according to reports by Dhaka-based Prothom declaring that the election would be held in April, Yunus didn't provide any specific dates. Revealing that he wasn't really prepared, no details or schedule were provided as to how the administration plans to utilise the months in the run-up to the election in April. "There is a possibility that Yunus might not be able to conduct the election in a very free and fair way due to the given political circumstances. In that case, the country will be in a big dark circle," Dhaka-based activist academic Rezaur Rahman Lenin told India Today he took over as the Chief Adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh in August 2024 after protesters forced PM Sheikh Hasina into exile, Yunus has ruled in confusion, chaos and announcement reveals that he plans to continue in that same Yunus and advisers on his council had earlier said that elections would be held between December 2025 and June the announcement, Yunus and his team, including the student advisers, have around nine months to prepare for the election. While governments have conducted elections in such a timeframe, this might be a difficult task because the entire machinery has been shaken up and those in power are talking about student-founded NCP is also demanding a revamp of the election commission to purge it of "BNP loyalists".While Yunus and the NCP have been prioritising reforms, the BNP wants elections held first. It knows that with Hasina's Awami League becoming infamous and banned, it has the momentum with it now, which might fizzle out for some there is a genuine fear of the NCP becoming the "king's party" with student advisers still part of the Yunus government. The lines between the NCP and the interim government have leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi had just on June 5 accused the interim government of "resorting to tactics" to delay the election. Not just the BNP, around 50 other parties have been demanding that the polls be held in December, according to a report in the Dhaka-based Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman also called for elections by December, saying that an elected government should take policy decisions for the pressure, Yunus told the advisory council and NCP leader Nahid Islam that he planned to resign as the Chief Advisor. This saw a flurry of activity, and leaders said they had persuaded Yunus to stay the road ahead isn't going to be smooth and without major arguments was hinted by the NCP on Friday, right after Yunus announced that the election would be held in April."If effective steps are taken to implement the July Charter, July Declaration and reforms within this period, then we have no objection to holding the elections on the announced date," NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain told Prothom NCP is trying to project itself as a rising force to take on the established BNP, which has seen frequent number of political killings have taken place against members of both the BNP and the NCP. Around 70–80 people have been killed in political clashes," said Rezaur APRIL ISN'T THE BEST TIME FOR ELECTIONThe Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) on Friday expressed disappointment over the election timing."We do not understand why he [Yunus] wanted to hold the elections in April," the CPB's general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said, according to Prothom Alo."...We have clearly said, an elected government is definitely needed by 2025," he is the best period for elections in country sees pre-monsoon Kalbaishakhi storms between March and during the public exam period (typically February to April), most school and college teachers are tied up with invigilation and evaluation duties, and result processing for several months, making them largely unavailable for crucial election Yunus has declared that an election will be held by April, this doesn't end the uncertainty, and improves the situation, even if so, just marginally. What seems to be Yunus' attempt here is to buy time even as parties clamour for an election in InMust Watch
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Students unsure, experts wary of Trump's Harvard ban despite court stay
Students and education consultancies are concerned that the Donald Trump administration's recent actions against Harvard University could possibly set a precedent for action against other varsities. Even as Trump's June 4 proclamation suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard was temporarily blocked by a federal judge late Thursday night India time, experts say students are not sure of the US administration's next move. The uncertainty is set to affect the upcoming fall intake in August. Kajal Dave, co-founder of LaunchEd, said that the move likely affected thousands of international students currently applying or planning to study in the US, casting uncertainty over their academic futures. 'While the order specifically targets Harvard, it may set a troubling precedent, raising fears among students and universities nationwide about the stability of international education policies,' she added. The tussle comes amid an escalating dispute between the Trump administration and higher education institutions, especially Harvard. The administration had last month banned foreign students' admission to the university, an order that was also blocked by a federal court. This was followed by the US State Department ordering all its consular missions and embassies overseas to begin social media vetting of visa applicants looking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose. Abhijit Zaveri, founder and director of Ahmedabad-based education consultancy firm Career Mosaic, said that the move raises concerns, not only for incoming students but also for the broader international student community in the US. Harvard currently hosts 10,158 international students and scholars across its schools. Of these, 788 — the second-largest cohort — are from India, according to university data. China tops the list with 2,126 students. However, according to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the move comes after Harvard allegedly refused to provide information on certain foreign students involved in protest activities. 'Admission into the US to attend, conduct research, or teach at our nation's institutions of higher education is a privilege granted by our government, not a guarantee,' the proclamation signed by Trump stated. It added that this privilege is necessarily tied to the host institution's compliance and commitment to following federal law. 'Harvard University has failed in this respect, among many others,' it alleged. While the suspension of visas applies to foreigners wanting to attend Harvard University through the student and exchange visitor programme (SEVP) after the date of the proclamation, it would be the secretary of state's discretion if the visas of foreign nationals currently attending Harvard on F, M, or J visa should also be revoked. Highlighting that this section of the proclamation raises serious concerns about fairness and due process, Dave said the move could abruptly disrupt the lives and studies of students already residing in the US. Zaveri added that the possibility of reviewing and revoking existing academic or exchange visas adds to the uncertainty for those already enrolled. 'However, students are being informed in advance, and in some cases, may be advised to consider transferring or seeking admission to alternative institutions, depending on the guidance issued by relevant authorities,' he said. Dave said the resulting uncertainty has understandably impacted students preparing for the upcoming fall session. She added that despite past court interventions blocking similar actions, the repeated policy shifts are also prompting many students to reconsider or delay their plans, with some now looking to alternative destinations with clearer, more student-friendly visa policies. The continuous and growing uncertainty has led Indian students to look for new academic destinations, with Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, and even Russia, finding favour — despite language barriers — for their easy immigration policies and promise of work opportunities after the course ends. According to the education ministry data, Germany saw a 68 per cent increase in Indian students — to 34,702 in 2024 from 20,684 in 2022. New Zealand, meanwhile, witnessed a whopping 354 per cent jump from 1,605 to 7,297 during the same period. Russia saw a 59 per cent rise in Indian students and Ireland 49 per cent.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
U.P. ANTF likely to have wider jurisdiction, special court
The jurisdiction of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) is likely to be expanded, and a proposal to establish a special court for its cases is in the pipeline. The move aims to improve coordination in narcotics-related operations across the state and facilitate the creation of a collective database. During his visit to the ANTF headquarters to review its working on Thursday, the new director general of police (DGP), Rajeev Krishna, directed the ANTF officials to send the proposal to authorities concerned for jurisdiction expansion and the setting up of a special court in line with provisions available to other specialised state and central agencies, according to a press statement. The objective is to strengthen the ANTF operational capabilities and enhance effectiveness in tackling the growing menace of narcotics trafficking, which poses a significant threat to the youth and society, the statement said. The ANTF was established in August 2022 to curb production, sale and purchase of narcotic substances in the state. The agency is also meant to take action against listed drug peddlers, mafia and gangs and maintain coordination with central agencies like Narcotics Control Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Financial Intelligence Unit and Central Bureau of Narcotics to accelerate operational activities. A senior police official pointed out that several specialised agencies like U.P. Anti Terror Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) operate with a wide-ranging jurisdiction of their police stations. These agencies, he said, have special courts for better coordination during the trial and other legal proceedings. 'In the absence of wide-range jurisdiction and no special courts, the ANTF has struggled to develop into a robust unit like the U.P. ATS and STF,' he said, adding, 'The ANTF is considered to be a dumping ground for police officers since its formation on August 23, 2022'. According to the statement, the DGP also directed the ANTF to ensure an increase in the quantity of narcotics recovered in the state. As per the ANTF, it has seized narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substances worth only ₹250 crore since its formation. The agency initiated action under Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PITNDPS Act), 1988 only in nine cases and under Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976 in just 18 cases. The DGP laid stress on the importance of gathering high-quality intelligence and maintaining vigilance on the dark web, where digital networks of narcotics operate. He also directed the ANTF to establish coordination with financial transaction agencies and create a comprehensive financial database at the headquarters level. The ANTF, however, has also collaborated with the agriculture department to conduct digital mapping of narcotics cultivation. The DGP emphasised that the ANTF will be developed not just as a unit but as the sharpest weapon of the U.P. Police in the fight against narcotics. The inspection was attended by senior officials, including ADG (crime), IG (ANTF), SP (ANTF), and other officers.
