629 cops transferred in MP through political recommendations

New Delhi, Apr 23, 2009: Nearly 600 police personnel, including Additional and City Superintendents, in Madhya Pradesh were transferred through "political
recommendations" last year, an RTI reply has revealed.
The transfers were effected between January 1 and September 30, 2008 just before the Assembly polls in the state, the state government said in its reply to
the RTI filed by Bhopal resident Ajay Dubey.
The authorities received around 3,000 recommendations by political leaders during the said period.
"Out of which more than 600 police personnel, including Additional, City and Deputy Superintendents of Police were transferred or posted to their desired
places on the basis of recommendations," Dubey said citing the reply.
He has approached the Election Commission seeking its immediate intervention to revoke the transfers of the 629 police officers.
"We feel such transfers were made to give political mileage to some leaders in the state. It can also affect Election Commission's aim of conducting free and
fair elections in the state. Hence, we request you to revoke such transfer orders," Dubey said in its letter to the poll body.
There were 98 recommendations for transfer of Additional and City Superintendents of Police and 472 such requests for Deputy Superintendents of Police. As a result a total of 74 such officers were transferred, the RTI reply said.
The administration received about 500 recommendations to transfer police inspectors in addition to nearly 700 such requests for sub-inspectors, out of which a total of 340 requests were accepted, it said.
Earlier, Dubey, exercising the Right to Information Act, had filed an application last year and asked the state government to provide data of all postings and transfers done in the state on the basis of political recommendations.