Tripura: 73 policemen suspended in corruption cases in 18 months

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb gestures during the swearing-in ceremony of Tripura legislative assembly at Assam Rifles ground in Agartala, the capital of northeastern state of Tripura on March 9, 2018. File pic/AFP

Agartala: A total number of 73 police and security personnel were suspended in various corruption cases during the past 18 months in Tripura. A police official said on the condition of anonymity, "Seventy-three policemen, including eleven officers and 20 jawans of Tripura State Rifles were suspended so far since March last year."

The security personnel were suspended under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) and Prevention of Corruption Act. "The state government and Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb asked the police department to take stringent actions against the corruption and indiscipline irrespective of police, civil officials and common men," the official said.

The police officer informed that of the 73 police personnel, 52 policemen were suspended in the past 18 months for their involvement in drug trafficking and nine have been arrested.

Tripura CM Deb, who also holds the home portfolio, had said in a public meeting recently that Tripura would be made a clean and model state in three years.

In another action on alleged corruption charges and misconduct, the government compulsorily retired another 22 senior tax officers under Rule 56 (J). In tune with the move, around 27 high-ranking revenue officers were sent home on allegations ranging from harassment, bribe, extortion and corruption. The officers fired by CBIC include K.K. Uikey, S.R. Parate, Kailash Verma, K.C. Mandal, M.S. Damor, R.S. Gogiya, Kishore Patel from various central GST zones. They all were at the level of the superintendent.

The sources from the Finance Ministry said that the decision to sack corrupt tax officers is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to clean up the tax administration so that honest tax-payers are not harassed.

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from IANS

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