Our Correspondent
Dimapur, June 20 (EMN): A day after signature campaigns and petition-signings were carried out in Dimapur and Kohima demanding the retention of Rupin Sharma as the director general of police (DGP) of, a government notification dated June 20 Kohima and signed by Home Commissioner R Ramakrishnan which was supposedly a copy to Rupin Sharma has started circulating on social media platforms.
The state govt. notification from the Home department’s police establishment branch read: "In the interest of public service, the governor of Nagaland is pleased to order Renchamo P Kikon, IPS, additional DGP (L&O) to take over the current charge of DGP in addition to his normal duties with immediate effect."
The notification stated that "Nagaland DGP Rupin Sharma, IPS is kept on compulsory wait and directed to hand over the charge to IPS Renchamo P Kikon today itself."
Forum unhappy
The activist group, the Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF), has expressed ‘disappointment’ at the “forced replacement of Rupin Sharma.” A statement to the media from the organisation on Wednesday lamented that he was replaced by an officer ‘much Junior to him in service.’
‘The NPRAAF is disappointed at the forced replacement of Rupin Sharma as DGP by an officer much junior to him in service. The centre refused to act based upon the letter of the chief minister, dy. chief minister and the chief secretary to bring in an outside state IPS cadre (sic) to be the new DGP of Nagaland, taking into consideration the immaculate track record of Rupin Sharma,’ the group stated.
According to the statement, the action of the state’s government is against the IPS (Regulation of Seniority) Rules of 1988 and “against the wishes of the people of Nagaland who openly demanded his retention.”
If Rupin Sharma does not qualify the set criteria of 30 years to become a DGP, the groupwondered, “then what criteria were followed to appoint the new DGP.”
‘If the state government’s response is not satisfactory,’ the note added, ‘the NPRAAF will seek the door of justice.’
