UP police chief shunted out

In a sudden late night move, Uttar Pradesh state director general of police A C Sharma was given the marching orders on Friday.

While Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has appointed Devraj Nagar as the new state police chief, Sharma has been sent to the insignificant position of commandant general of home guards.

Known an officer of high integrity, Nagar was heading the state Provincial Armed Constabulary so far. He belongs to the 1976 batch of the elite Indian Police Service and was the senior-most officer of the state police.

He has been replaced by another upright IPS officer Atul, who had earlier been sidelined as commandant–general of home guards.

The sudden move is attributed to the unabated deterioration of law and order, rising crime and increased indiscipline and rampant corruption in the police force. Bad policing was understood to have given much unpopularity to the Akhilesh government that rode on to power with a thumping majority exactly 13 months ago.

Another senior IPS officer O P Singh has been named as director general of security.