A senior police officer has alleged that he was being 'mentally harassed' by state Director General of Police (DGP) Satish Mathur to such an extent that he intended to end his life, an allegation dismissed by the top cop as "wrong and unfortunate"
Mumbai: A senior police officer has alleged that he was being 'mentally harassed' by state Director General of Police (DGP) Satish Mathur to such an extent that he intended to end his life, an allegation dismissed by the top cop as "wrong and unfortunate".
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In the messages purportedly attributed to him, which are doing rounds on social media, Inspector General of police (IGP), Amravati range, Vithal Jadhav has alleged that he was being targeted by Mathur for being a Maratha. Reacting to the charge, Mathur today said he disapproved of police officers evoking caste to put forth their grievances.
"No police officer should evoke caste while airing their grievances. If an officer of rank of Inspector General of Police claims that he is being harassed because he is a Maratha, it's totally wrong. I have also asked IGP Jadhav to come to the office and put his grievance in writing," Mathur told PTI here.
He was reacting to reports that Jadhav has also accused him of targeting him over his caste. Seeking to debunk the charge of harassment, the DGP said, "In recent meeting, I had asked questions to Jadhav about law and order in his range. I also asked the same set of questions to police commissioners of Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai and IG, Nashik.
"We are working for the people. We are accountable to them. For that matter, it's my duty to ask questions to my officers. If anybody claims that this is harassment then it's wrong and unfortunate," the DGP said. Mathur said Jadhav had sent these messages on the night of October 6.
"(But) He did not send a single message to me. I had tried calling him, but his phone was not reachable. Then, I sent CP Amaravati to see what was going on. The report which he has submitted is shocking," Mathur said. The DGP met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis but Jadhav's issue did not figure in their talks.
Amid speculation over an imminent show-cause notice to Jadhav seeking an explanation for his action, Mathur said, "I will be submitting a report (on Jadhav issue) to government, which will take a call with this regard."
Jadhav, a state cadre police officer of 1998 batch, reportedly accused Mathur of mental harassment to such an extent that he intended to end his life. The IGP is apparently irked with Mathur who had reprimanded him up for not maintaining law and order during the Ganesh idol immersion at Umarkhed in Yavatmal district, in which some police personnel and devotees were injured in stone pelting.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Deepak Kesarkar has asked the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) K P Bakshi to summon Jadhav and demand an explanation from him. "The IG's letter is a shocker for us. There is absolutely no doubt that he has broken disciplinary rules set for police officers for which he will be summoned by the ACS and an explanation will be sought," Kesarkar told PTI.
The minister said if the IGP had any grievances, he should have ideally approached the ACS, Home, who would have taken them up with Home minister after consulting the state DGP. "The ACS (Home), has also been instructed to hear out the grievances he has with his seniors, following which the Home Minister will take a call on the issue," Kesarkar added.
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