Meerut: In a stern official letter marked to all senior superintendents of police (SSPs) and SPs across Uttar Pradesh, Mahendra Modi, director general (technical services) has asked district police chiefs to send a written warning to all constables, currently employed as computer operators at various police stations across the state, who sought political influence to move their files of transfer.“Despite my written directions in a letter dated April 23, constables have been using political influence for transfers,” Modi said. A list of 31 such constables with politicians concerned, both from the state and central cabinets, writing for the transfer of the constable has been attached with the letter dated July 20, a copy of which is with TOI. The list includes Union minister of state for HRD Satyapal Singh, UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya and state labour minister Swami Prasad Maurya.“Give a written warning to these constables posted in your districts. Also warn them that any repetition of the same mistake would attract an adverse entry against them,” Modi added. Later, talking to TOI, Modi refrained from elaborating but said that it was a disciplinary warning for young recruits. "It is just a warning to the young recruits who are ignorant about such things," he said in his brief response.The constables who are recruited by training services department are deployed as computer operators for the ambitious Crime and Criminal Tracking and Networks System (CCTNS) project which is aimed at integrating police stations across the country on the web. Meanwhile, senior police officers claimed that the situation cuts across all the sub-wings of the department in the state.“There is a very wrong trend of policemen approaching local politicians who in turn mount pressure on us for transfers. This is widely done ahead of elections where politicians press for their acquaintance in the department to be posted in the local police station,” Meerut SSP Rajesh Pandey said, confirming about the letter from Modi.A constable can be transferred by an SSP within a district, by an inspector general in a range (comprising 3-4 districts) and by an ADG if the transfer is within a zone (comprising 7-10 districts). The trickiest is transfer outside a zone which can be done only after the approval of Establishment Board at the DGP’s office in Lucknow.Another senior officer claimed that the constables seeking transfer have a template of 3-4 “excuses” for their requests. "It is very difficult to decipher who is coming with a genuine request and who isn’t. Some constables forge medical records claiming that either of their parents is seriously or terminally ill and he or she is the only son or daughter of the family. Based on discretion, we forward the request to the authorities concerned,” the officer said.

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