New Delhi: The Assam Rifles is planning to file a case against a 2016-batch Manipur IPS officer who had lodged an FIR against one of its jawans after accusing him of molesting her at a checkpoint near Moreh, a town on the India-Myanmar border.
The incident occurred Sunday. An FIR was lodged against Rifleman P.K. Pandey following a formal complaint by the woman officer who is posted as the sub-divisional police officer in a district in Manipur. She had also lodged a separate complaint with the Manipur State Commission for Women against the rifleman and his commanding officer, who allegedly intimidated her.
Army sources, however, told ThePrint that there is footage that shows that not all is black and white and that the woman officer was at fault.
Sources said that at around 2 pm Sunday, a white TATA Sumo returning from Moreh bypassed the designated scanning lane and also jumped the vehicle queue at the permanent checkpoint in Khudengthabi, resulting in a commotion and causing inconvenience to other travellers.
They added that the vehicle was stopped by Assam Rifles personnel who asked the passengers for their identification.
“On being enquired about the identity of the passengers and reasons for bypassing the scanning and jumping the queue, the woman along with the armed male escorts all in civil dress began arguing,” an Assam Rifles source said.
The source added that despite numerous requests from the troops of Assam Rifles, the woman officer refused to divulge her identity and instead began questioning the troops by asking: “Don’t you know me?”.
“At this moment, the woman officer sitting in the passenger seat began clicking photographs of the post, which rifleman P.K. Pandey objected to,” a second Assam Rifles source said. “She persisted and continued clicking photographs that is against the norms.”
ThePrint contacted the woman officer but she refused to comment, saying the case was sub-judice.
Against norms, says AR
Army sources said that all vehicles and passengers are permitted to cross the checkpost only after thorough checking, in accordance with the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs. They added that state-of-the-art equipment has been placed at the post.
“Do note that the woman police officer and her escort were moving in civil clothes with their personal weapon and without any escort vehicle outside her area of jurisdiction,” the first source cited above said.
“The incident happened in broad daylight in front of multiple agencies. It is unimaginable that a jawan tried to molest, physically assault or beat an IPS officer,” the source added. “In fact, it was the other way round wherein she was shouting at the jawan who was on bonafide duty and her four escorts trying to force their way through by avoiding scanning of the vehicle.”
The checkpoint at Khudengthabi is the designated frisking and checking point just outside Free Movement Regime (FMR) on Moreh-Imphal axis.
Also read: Hyderabad horror: How can we bring national attention to rape cases outside big cities?
It appears that the IPS is losing its sheen.
FROM IRAN..AFGHANISTAN..INDIA..TO MYANMER..SRILANKA..IT WAS ALWAYS ONE ENTITY..WHERE ONE COULD MOVE FREELY WITHOUT ANY CHECKPOST OR CHECKPOINT.
IN FACT ALL CHECKPOST/ CHECKPOINT ARE TOTALLY ARTIFICIAL & ROOT CAUSE OF PROBLEMS OF MANKIND. OR AT LEAST THR ROOT CAUSE OF PROBLEMS OF PEOPLE OF SOUTH EAST ASIA !
It seems the complete IPS has been compromised. Time to have a psychological test before inducting officers for the police!
The government should hold and enquiry and whoever is at wrong side should be given exemplery punishment. The army jawan cant molest a IPS officer in a broad daylight and that too in front of multiple agency. There must be something very fishy about her, if she at fault then example should be set in front of everyone so that people sitting in powerfull post get a lesson that abusing power will not be tolerable at all.
She deserves suspensions/ termination for misusing her feminity and power.
Shame to IPS. Shame to a default Success in Upsc Exam… Seems even the Print n others Media has become anarchists. God is there.
Shame to IPS. Shame to a default Success in Upsc Exam
As a Bonafide Govt officer myself, I stop at these check points and register myself even if the duty personnel recognise me. As I know it’s good for me else something is there
I have a very good experience of checking my vehicle. ARs are well disciplined. The lady IPS officer might have been overexcited of her status as expected of Indian Civil Services. They consider themselves above other Humen. That’s their attitude
Shame on such media for sharing fake news. The women is now found to be carrying Illegal substances from Myanmar to India. And to hide that fact she said this and shame on the print for always telling fake news. Shame on such left leaning news agency
GOI must give an exemplary punishment like Dismissal after due process within say 3 months.
Now the real story as per the rebuttal by Assam Rifles posted on their official Twitter handle
The lady IPS officer in a civil vehicle, in civil dress, with guards in civil dress with personal arms , outside her area of jurisdiction, on a Sunday, without informing local police or Assam Rifles of Army went to guess where? Myanmar!!! Guess for what? Allegedly bringing some smuggled goods. Caught jumping lane at a international check post by a jawan in duty during a heightened security statj due to Republic Day.. Refused to show identity proof! Refused to get her vehicle checked ! Trying to throw her weight and power on that sincere jawan just to smuggle in whatever was in that vehicle. She could have been a terrorist and jawan could have even shot her and her guards, which he didn’t. Now to avoid that alleged smuggling scandal, she has used her police power and feminity to accuse a jawan of molesting her!!! We all now know what a senior police DySP Davinder Singh was transporting in his car from Srinagar when he was caught. God save this country.