19 police officers in Madhya Pradesh suspended for skipping Independence Day band practice
Bhopal: A Madhya Pradesh police initiative to establish police bands in each district has encountered obstacles, with numerous officers taking legal action against the decision. This development follows the suspension of 19 cops in July for failing to attend band practice sessions for Independence Day celebrations.
On July 25, Superintendents of Police in the districts of Raisen, Mandsaur, Khandwa, Sidhi, and Harda issued suspension notices to officers who, despite being listed, did not show up for band practice across the state in preparation for Independence Day celebrations.
“The officers were asked to turn up for performance and they vanished. They were then served suspension notices and ordered to stay at police lines. They are yet to turn up,” Raisen Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar told The Indian Express.
The suspension orders accused the officers of "gross indiscipline and insubordination." The notices stated that the officers would be entitled to a subsistence allowance as per regulations during the suspension period. Additionally, they would not be allowed to leave the headquarters without the permission of the Superintendent of Police and would be required to mark their attendance according to regulations, added the news outlet.
Several police personnel had approached the Jabalpur and Gwalior benches of MP High Court and stated that they never consented to join the police band nor filed any applications for it, as they preferred focusing on their regular duties. They further claimed the order assigning them to the band was "arbitrary and illegal". The police countered that written consent was initially requested but not provided, leading to the preparation of a common list.
Five police personnel faced a setback when Justice Anand Pathak, then serving on the Gwalior Bench, rejected their petition on May 29 and highlighted the significance of police bands at cultural and ceremonial events. It ruled that police training, including band participation, can be seen as part of ongoing skill enhancement, thus not requiring prior consent from the officers. The court also noted that the disciplined nature of police work means officers cannot refuse duties based on personal consent.
Three constables from Jabalpur withdrew their petitions on Thursday after being informed of the Gwalior bench's order.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
