How IAS & IPS officers in Madhya Pradesh are paying the price for sticking to law

In eight months in MP, IAS & IPS officers faced swift removals after acting against BJP & VHP workers. Transfers now seen as political weapons undermining law enforcement's autonomy.

Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 2016 batch, posted as Superintendent of Police (SP) in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district, was abruptly removed from his post on 20 April 2025 | By special arrangement

Bhopal: Ahead of the 17th ‘Civil Service Day’ scheduled 21 April, Sanjeev Kumar Sinha, posted as Superintendent of Police (SP) in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district, was abruptly removed from his post. In a late-night order dated 19 April, the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 2016 batch was transferred to the police headquarters.

Sinha’s sudden transfer came merely six days after the Guna Police registered two First Information Reports (FIRs) in the aftermath of communal violence that erupted 12 April.

In the first FIR, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Omprakash Kushwaha alias Gabbar along with 14 associates were booked on charges of rioting, stone-pelting, and instigating communal violence during Hanuman Jayanti. In the second FIR, members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) were booked for blocking major city squares to pressure the police.

This marks the third instance in the last eight months of the Mohan Yadav government where an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or IPS officer has been transferred after acting against Right-wing groups or members affiliated with the ruling party.

Six months earlier, in September 2024, Ratlam SP Rahul Lodha was shunted out overnight after Right-wing members staged a rally against the police following a clash during Ganesh Jayanti celebrations.

A month before Lodha’s transfer, in Vidisha, located near Bhopal, collector Buddesh Kumar Vaidya, an IAS officer of the 2014 batch, was transferred in August 2024. This came a fortnight after he denied permission to Right-wing groups to perform a pooja at Vidisha’s Bija Mandal—an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected site since 1951—during Nag Panchami.

Vaidya’s decision triggered uproar within the Hindutva groups, with protests erupting and a group led by BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Mukesh Tandon forcibly entering the Bija Mandal premises to perform pooja. A fortnight later, Vaidya was transferred out of Vidisha and posted as Deputy Secretary in the home department.

“These sudden transfers are sending a very wrong message—that any officer who upholds the law against politically influential individuals can easily be sidelined. It also raises questions about political maturity and the subversion of the highest offices of the police,” former Director General of Police (DGP) Arun Gurtu told ThePrint. “Administration or governance is all about the message you send down the ranks and files.”

He warned that if riots occur in future, the political leadership cannot hold the SP responsible for a breakdown of law and order.

ThePrint contacted Madhya Pradesh DGP Kailash Makwana via texts and calls. The report will be updated if and when a response is received. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh IPS Association chairperson Ravi Gupta told ThePrint that he “will consult other members of the organisation and then take up the matter.”

Transfers done under pressure?

On 12 April, during Hanuman Jayanti, BJP corporator from Guna’s Ward Number Four, Omprakash Kushwaha, carried out a rally with his supporters. He allegedly raised provocative slogans outside a mosque, sparking a confrontation that left over a dozen people injured.

Following Kushwaha’s complaint, police registered an FIR against a dozen Muslims for rioting and arrested 17. Sinha deployed heavy police force to prevent further escalation.

Two days later, police registered two more FIRs. The first FIR, filed against Kushwaha, was based on a complaint by Sub-Inspector Mahesh Lakde. The second FIR, against VHP members, was based on a complaint from Inspector-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station, Brij Mohan Bhadoria.

The FIR stated that Kushwaha conducted a rally during Hanuman Jayanti without permission. His group allegedly misbehaved with police officers who attempted to intervene, raised provocative slogans outside a mosque, and hurled slurs such as ‘Mulle, Ka***, go to Pakistan,’ according to a copy of the FIR accessed by ThePrint.

In the second FIR, police booked VHP members for attempting to incite unrest by blocking a major city square on 14 April. Sinha booked them for rioting, hurting religious sentiments, and unlawful assembly and obstructing public servants. However, before any further action could be taken, the Guna SP was removed and attached to headquarters.

“When an FIR like this is registered, it is not a decision made by a single officer, but a collective call,” said a senior police officer. “So when the SP was transferred, was it not the responsibility of the higher-ups to stand by him?”

ThePrint attempted to reach Sanjeev Sinha, now posted as Assistant Inspector General at police headquarters in Bhopal, but he refused to comment.

“Transferring an officer is one thing, but issuing a one-page order, transferring only one officer, singles out that person and sends a very wrong message within the force,” said a senior IPS officer. “This practice of issuing specific transfer orders, especially after such incidents, should be discouraged.” 

In Ratlam, Lodha was transferred overnight after Right-wing groups approached the district collector, alleging police inaction. In September, during a Ganesh idol procession, members of these outfits claimed that stones were pelted from Muslim-dominated Mochi Mohalla, damaging the idol.

Lodha held a press conference warning against rumour-mongering and clarified that no idol was damaged. Right-wing groups accused Lodha of ‘tarnishing’ their image and submitted a memorandum to the district collector. Hours later, Lodha was moved from the district and posted with the Government Railway Police (GRP).

Retired IPS officer Maithili Sharan Gupta described these transfers as a political message to the force. “These are not transfers, but a message that officers are not public servants, but are serving their political masters,” he said.

Not a recent trend

The three incidents recorded over the past eight months reflect a broader pattern in the state, with similar transfers having occurred under former four-time chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s rule.

Transfers similar to these were seen in Ratlam, Indore, Satna, Seoni and several other districts over the last three years.

In July 2023, the BJP government transferred two police officers—Deputy Commissioner Dharmendra Singh Bhadoriya and Inspector-in-Charge of Palasia Police Station, Sanjay Singh Bais—after a lathi-charge at members of the Bajrang Dal protesting at Palasia Square in Indore. Protesters were demanding to meet the Police Commissioner to express concerns over the growing ‘pub and drug culture’ in Indore.

The transfers triggered a silent ‘Respect Khaki’ campaign, during which police officers changed their social media profile pictures to ‘Khakhi kaa bhi maan hai naa‘.

Similarly, in June 2023, the state government transferred three police officers of Bilkhiriya police station in Bhopal, including inspector-in-charge B.P. Singh, after a lathi-charge at VHP members who vandalised a private college during a fee-hike dispute.

“In the past, when such political transfers occurred, seniors would offer their resignations as a mark of opposition—but not anymore. Such incidents condition the force to sit tight, instead of upholding the law,” former DGP Gurtu asserted.

(Edited by Radifah Kabir)