News Analysis India

Tag: Amitabh Thakur

  • Ex-IPS Amitabh Thakur held for abetment to suicide of rape survivor

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, compulsorily retired early this year, was arrested by the Lucknow Police on Friday in connection with the self-immolation case outside the Supreme Court by a rape survivor and her companion a fortnight ago.

    Before immolating themselves, the two had named jailed BSP MP Atul Rai and Thakur among others for harassing them and conspiring to defame them on social media.

    While taking the extreme step, the victim and her companion had live-streamed a video message on social media accusing BSP MP Atul Rai, then Varanasi SSP Amit Pathak, former IG Amitabh Thakur, and other police and judicial officers of harassing them and forcing them to commit suicide. The video was considered as the dying declaration by the investigation team.

    After the incident, the state government had constituted a two-member special investigating team (SIT) headed by UP Police Recruitment & Promotion Board (UPPRPB) RK Vishwakarma and Additional Director General (ADG) Women Power Line 1090 (WPL) Neera Rawat to probe into the allegations levelled by the rape survivor against the cops. Both the rape survivor and her companion succumbed to burn injuries at a Delhi hospital recently.

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    Following the investigation, the Lucknow police had lodged a case of abetment to suicide against the jailed MP Atul Rai and former IG Amitabh Thakur on Friday on the instructions of the Uttar Pradesh Director General of police, Mukul Goel. The DGP was ordered to lodge the FIR against Thakur on the basis of the probe report submitted to him by the two-member SIT.

    After registering the FIR at Hazaratganj police station, Thakur was arrested in the state capital. Earlier in the day, however, Amitabh Thakur announced that he had floated his own political outfit ‘Adhikar Sena’.

    In March this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) had directed Thakur to take an exit from Indian Police Services (IPS) through Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) finding him unsuitable for the job.

    The FIR was lodged by senior sub-inspector Daya Shankar Dwivedi posted at Hazratganj police station. Dwivedi stated in the FIR that on the basis of the report of the two-member SIT, it surfaced that the victim woman had lodged a case of rape and dishonesty against the jailed MP Atul Rai in 2019. Police filed a charge sheet in the court. Thereafter, the accused got seven FIRs lodged against the victim woman.

    The FIR further claimed that the rape survivor had given a letter dated November 10, 2020, to SSP Varanasi accusing Amitabh Thakur of having taken money from BSP MP Atul Rai to frame false evidence in the court and also trying to tarnish her image forcing her to commit self-immolation.

    The rape survivor had also stated in the same letter that Amitabh Thakur was circulating misleading facts and defiling her image by circulating audios of her witnesses being related to criminals, said the FIR.

    The FIR also states that further on August 16, 2021, the victim woman and a man who was a witness of the case, immolated themselves outside the gate of the Supreme Court and later succumbed to their injuries.

  • Former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur to float political party ahead of UP polls

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur on Friday said he will float a new political party soon.

    “After consulting my supporters and well-wishers, I have decided to float a new political party,” Thakur said here.

    The proposed name of his new outfit is Adhikar Sena, he said and requested his supporters to suggest more names along with purpose, mission and structure of the party.

    The government had issued an order for Thakur’s premature retirement on March 23 this year, saying he was “not found fit to be retained for the remaining tenure of his service”.

    Earlier this month, Thakur’s wife Nutan Thakur had announced that he would be contesting the coming assembly elections against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

    “Adityanath took many undemocratic, improper, suppressive, harassing and discriminatory steps during his tenure as chief minister. Hence, Amitabh shall be contesting the election against Adityanath from wherever he contests,” she had said.

    An officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, he would have retired in 2028.

    In 2017, Thakur had urged the Centre to change his cadre state.

    The officer was suspended on July 13, 2015, days after he had accused Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav of threatening him.

    A vigilance enquiry was also initiated against him.

    However, the Lucknow Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal stayed his suspension in April 2016 and ordered his reinstatement with full salary with effect from October 11, 2015.

  • Stopped by police from going to Gorakhpur citing threat to life: Former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Former Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, who was given premature retirement, on Saturday claimed that he was stopped by police from going to Gorakhpur, citing a threat to his life.

    Thakur was given compulsory retirement on March 23 in “public interest” as he was found “unfit” for the remaining tenure of his service. Earlier, Thakur’s family had announced that he would be contesting the next year’s state Assembly polls against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, terming it a fight for principles.

    The Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat was represented by Adityanath before becoming the chief minister of the state.

    In a video statement, Thakur said when he was about to leave for Gorakhpur in the morning with one of his friends, huge police force along with the Gomtinagar circle officer arrived there, saying he cannot go there. “When I asked them to explain the reason for this, I was told that there is a threat to my life,” he said.

    “In that case (UP CM) Yogi Adityanath should not go anywhere because it is said that he faces a threat to life from the ISI and a number of other people. But he goes along with the security arrangement. I should also be given security and not stopped in the name of a threat. I was told that I am facing the anger of women from a specific community,” Thakur said.

    He added that this shows that Yogi Adityanath is afraid of a “small person” like him. “This is laughable, shows the reality and is a murder of democracy,” Thakur said.

    On August 14, Thakur’s family had announced that he would be contesting the next year’s state Assembly polls against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In a statement issued here, Thakur’s wife Nutan said it is a fight for principles for him.

    “Shri Adityanath undertook many undemocratic, improper, suppressive and discriminatory steps during his tenure as the chief minister. Hence, Amitabh shall be contesting the elections against Shri Adityanath from any place he contests,” she alleged.

    Following a decision taken by the Union Home Ministry, Thakur was given compulsory retirement on March 23 in “public interest”. He was “not found fit to be retained for the remaining tenure of his service”, an order from the Union Home Ministry had said of Thakur, who would have completed his service in 2028.

    In 2017, Thakur had urged the Centre to change his cadre state. The officer was suspended on July 13, 2015, days after he had accused Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh of threatening him. A vigilance enquiry was also initiated against him.

    However, the Lucknow Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal stayed his suspension in April 2016 and ordered his reinstatement with full salary with effect from October 11, 2015.