Police chief in soup for using constables as house help

Hyderabad: Telangana state police department on Monday launched an inquiry into a video of some constables and Home Guards working as orderlies at the residence of an Indian Police Service officer in Ranga Reddy district, adjoining Hyderabad.

Even as a team headed by Hyderabad range deputy inspector-general of police Akun Sabharwal took up the probe, on the orders of the acting DGP Anjani Kumar, the IPS officer concerned, Ranga Reddy district superintendent of police Naveen Kumar put one constable under suspension for uploading video on the social media.

Constable Mahesh of Bantwaram police station in the district was suspended for uploading the video and photos on social media.

While the constables and the Home Guards — who are seen as washing utensils and working in the kitchen of the senior officer — alleged that they were forced to work as orderlies, the superintendent has made a counter-allegation that it was all a conspiracy against him.

Naveen Kumar said he was being targeted as he had launched a drive against corruption in the department and made a list of the constables indulging in collection of bribes.

He said that it was genuine video shot by the constables and home guards at his residence on June 28.

The superintendent said he had also ordered the special branch to probe the allegations five officers who figure in the video and the photos had been questioned.

Meanwhile the state Home Guards Association has alleged that the incident shows that the IPS officers had little regard for the Home Guard and the constables.

The Association President and ruling TRS party MLA V. Srinivas Goud said the constables and the home guards who were recruited in the police department after striving hard and proving their skills were forced to work as orderlies instead of helping in law enforcements.

“The IPS officers who were supported to be protectors of law have turned law breakers by continuing a system abolished by the government”, he said.

A few years ago a senior IPS officer A.K. Kumodi had launched a drive to clean up the system and put an end to the misuse of the Home Guards and constables as domestic help, but faced strong resistance from a powerful lobby.