Political pressure? Police officer in Punjab ‘told’ to extend leave and await transfer

Sources in the police department told HT that a strong lobby of Majha region’s Congress MLAs are “dead against” the SSP because of his “soft attitude” towards Majitha MLA and former revenue minister Bikram Majithia of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Chandigarh : Even as the Congress government is claiming to depoliticise the police in Punjab, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted as senior superintendent of police (SSP) for Amritsar (rural) has allegedly not been allowed to rejoin his duty after leave owing to political pressure.
SSP J Elanchezhian, considered a “plain-speaking” officer, had taken leave of 14 days, from June 12 to 26. Punjab Police Service (PPS) officer Parampal Singh, who was posted as assistant inspector general in the special cell, bureau of investigation, in Chandigarh, was given charge in his absence.
Even as Elanchezhian returned from leave on June 27, he was allegedly directed by the headquarters to proceed on further leave. Sources said he was told that transfers of police officers are expected in this week and he would get a new posting. When HT sought to contact him, Elanchezhian, who was available at his official residence in Amritsar, did not reply to repeated calls.
Sources in the police department told HT that a strong lobby of Majha region’s Congress MLAs are “dead against” Elanchezhian because of his “soft attitude” towards Majitha MLA and former revenue minister Bikram Majithia of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
These MLAs have “exerted pressure on the government” to replace Elanchezhian with Parampal, it is learnt.
Parampal had made headlines in 2012 when his Bachelors of Arts (BA) degree from Magadh University in Gaya, Bihar was alleged to be fake. He was then deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in Amritsar and was removed from the post.
Now, when Elanchezhian went on leave, additional chief secretary (home) NS Kalsi posted Parampal as SSP of Amritsar-rural despite the fact that he was posted in Chandigarh.
“Generally, when an SSP of any district goes on leave, the charge is given to the SSP of nearby districts. But giving the charge to Parampal, an officer posted in Chandigarh, was itself enough indication that something was cooking behind the scenes,” said a senior police officer who did not wish to be named.
Parampal even held a meeting of station house officers (SHOs) of the district on Friday and instructed them to pull their socks claiming that he would remain SSP in the coming days as well.
Director general of police Suresh Arora, when contacted, said, “I have heard that the SSP (Elanchezhian) has proceeded on more leave, but I am not aware of the reasons.”
Meanwhile, Congress leader Sukhjinder Raj Singh ‘Lalli’ Majithia, who had fought against Bikram Majithia in the polls early this year, denied any role in the transfer.