It is IGP Basant Rath versus DGP Dilbag Singh again

The 2000 batch IPS officer files complaint against top cop in Gandhi Nagar police station

SRINAGAR: A major controversy has hit Jammu and Kashmir police after 2000 batch IPS officer Basant Kumar Rath filed a written complaint against Director General of Police Dilbag Singh in the Gandhi Nagar Police Station weeks after he was poked by a fake twitter handle using “Dilbag Singh” namesake.

“I am writing to you to take note of my genuine apprehensions about my safety and reputation. I am doing it as a private citizen of this country. Not as a civil servant. Not as a police officer. I am not asking you to lodge an FIR against the person mentioned above (DGP Dilbag Singh). I am just asking you to make this letter a part of the daily dairy in your station. Today. Now. In case something bad happens to me, you should know whose number you should dial. With due respect,” Rath wrote to Station House Officer of Gandhi Nagar Police Station.

The letter, a copy of which is with The Kashmir Monitor, has been marked to the DGP as well.

“I expect you to acknowledge this letter. You can send me a screenshot of my WhatsApp. Or you can send me a DM on Twitter. I am @KangriCarrier. It is a reasonably popular twitter handle in J&K, and Ladakh,” Rath said in the complaint.

Director-General of Police Dilbag Singh did not respond to the calls and WhatsApp messages. Station House Officer, Gandhi Nagar Police Station G. Choudhary said he has not seen the letter. “I have not seen it,” he said.

In fact, the run-ins began after fake twitter user `Dilbag Singh’ shared his (Raths) old article about distributing books for free earlier this month.

“Hi, Dilbag Singh. Can I call you Dilloo? Are you the one who owns 50 canals of land in Sarore near the dental college? Is it registered on your name?” Rath tweeted in response to a fake Twitter user.

Later DGP reacted in a WhatsApp group run by a journalist with police officers and bureaucrats as its members hitting out at Rath without naming him.

Hailing from Odisha, Rath was promoted to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in early 2018. He was made in charge of the traffic department and within no time he earned a sobriquet of Singam for acting against the lawbreakers.

From lifting the Audi of top police officer’s kin to implementing the helmet rule and removing music systems from public transport, Rath had gone the extra mile to ensure that people adhere to the law.

However, his stint as IGP traffic was short-lived after a run-in with the then Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu. He was shifted to a non-descript home guards wing of the police. Having a huge fan following, Rath is often requested by people for an instant selfie on the roads, parks and other public places

The fresh controversy has come at a time when Kashmir is battling COVID 19. Sources said Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu and chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam are aware of the letter. Officials said this is the controversy which could have been avoided as it brings bad name to the administration.