The Hindu : E.C. orders transfer of two police officials in Gujarat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 07, 2002

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E.C. orders transfer of two police officials in Gujarat

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI Dec. 6. Even as the Election Commission is keeping a constant vigil on the activities of the Narendra Modi Government in Gujarat, it has ordered the immediate transfer of Superintendents of Police of two districts and said they should not be given any poll work.

In a strongly worded letter sent to the State Chief Secretary today, the Commission said that the presence of the SPs of Sabarkantha and Mahsana districts would not be conducive for the conduct of free and fair poll in the State and hence they should be transferred forthwith.

The letter asked the Chief Secretary to replace these senior officials with suitable officers. Further, the two SPs should not be given any election work, including maintenance of law and order, the Commission said.

The State Government was asked to send a panel of suitable direct recruit police officers to the Commission by tomorrow evening so that suitable persons could be recommended for replacement.

Even prior to the commencement of the poll process, the Commission had directed the State Government to transfer those officers who had served for four years in a place or were serving in their home districts, to ensure that elections were conducted in a free and fair manner without official connivance with candidates.

According to the policy of the Commission, officers associated with the poll process are to be transferred if they had served for four years or more or if they were working in their home district. It was made clear to the State administration that this directive was applicable to police officials of the ranks of Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, Commissioner, Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent and Inspector.

In the Commission's perception, though the State Government had carried out the transfer of some officers, still some more transfers were to be effected.

The sources said that the strict vigil on the State Government's activities and poll campaign was to ensure that the elections were held in a more transparent, free and fair manner and did not give room for partisan campaign in particular on communal lines.

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