Senior UP cop transferred over honour killing remarks

Saharanpur Deputy Inspector General of Police S K Mathur was on Thursday transferred over his controversial remarks advocating honour killing that sparked an outrage.

Mathur has been attached with the DGP headquarters Lucknow, an official spokesman said. Bhola Nath Singh, the DIG police headquarters, Allahabad has been posted in place of Mathur, he said.

The action against Mathur was taken at the behest of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who said such conduct was unbecoming of officers holding high posts.

"It is a serious matter. An inquiry is being conducted into the entire episode and if found guilty action will be taken against him," Akhilesh said at a function at a city Montessori school.

The controversy broke out after Mathur allegedly told a man who had come to lodge a missing complaint about his sister that had he been in his place, he would have shot her for eloping.

Mathur, meanwhile, attempted to backtrack from his comments, saying he was totally against honour killing and that his name was needlessly being dragged into the row.

He claimed that the video footage, which showed him making the comments was shown "in parts" and that it was not complete.

Later, Akhilesh said if senior officers holding higher posts do not understand the importance of their posts then action would be taken against them. "This is true that through your medium statement of a senior officer has come...if this is the same statement, which is being aired on the channels, then it is a very wrong statement," Akhilesh told reporters.

"If officers holding high posts do not understand the seriousness of their position then action will be taken," he added.

At the same time, he said any action taken by the government should also be projected. Home Secretary Deepak Kumar said the government has taken serious cognisance of the incident.

Superintendent of Police of Sant Kabir Nagar Dharmendra Singh, who made remarks over girls during a review meeting couple of days ago, was also transferred.

Singh has been shifted to 30 PAC Gonda as commandant and commandant 34 PAC Varanasi R P Chaturvedi has been posted in his place.