Suspended IPS Officer GP Singh dismissed amidst charges of sedition and possession of assets disproportionate to his income

Raipur

In a significant development, the Chhattisgarh government has dismissed senior IPS Officer GP Singh from service, just four months ahead of Assembly election in the state. 

The IPS officer Singh was arrested in 2022 on charges of sedition and possession of assets disproportionate to his income. 

After spending a few months behind bars, he was granted bail. However, following instructions from the central government, the state’s Home Department has now issued orders for his dismissal.

The controversy surrounding the IPS officer Singh dates back two years when the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted a raid at his official residence, unearthing incriminating evidence that led to his suspension.

The raid extended to his government bungalow as well as the homes of some of his relatives. During the search, documents linked to corruption and extortion within the government werediscovered. Allegations of planning and extortion against government officials, including some senior IAS officers, surfaced as well.

After being on the run in Delhi, the IPS officer was arrested by the ACB. The investigation revealed documents that purportedly implicated him in conspiring against the government, fueling resentment among the public and creating a sense of dissatisfaction. Additionally, during a search at the home of his friend, SBI manager Mani Bhushan, a 5-page document was found containing information about various politicians and officers, including Chhattisgarh police officials.

Before his role as the head of the Chhattisgarh Police Academy, GP Singh served as the Chief of the ACB. ACB officials alleged that he engaged in illegal extortion and blackmail, accumulating properties worth crores of rupees. Several complaints were lodged against him, and during his tenure as ACB Chief, he was accused of blackmailing corrupt officers to extract money from them.

GP Singh has the dubious distinction of being the first IPS officer in Chhattisgarh to face imprisonment. The ACB-EOW team conducted simultaneous raids in Raipur, Rajnandgaon, and Odisha on July 1, 2021, leading to the filing of an FIR against him. During the subsequent day-long investigation, evidence of assets worth Rs 5 crore was uncovered, with additional information indicating properties worth Rs 10 crore. Although his legal team attempted to halt the police proceedings by presenting arguments in the High Court and Supreme Court, their efforts proved futile.

In January, GP Singh was apprehended in Gurugram and subsequently brought back to Raipur by the Chhattisgarh Police, where he has been held in custody at Raipur Central Jail ever since. During the search at his bungalow, a diary containing writings against certain politicians and officers was found, leading to the addition of sedition charges against him.

Having spent 120 days in Raipur Central Jail, where he was instrumental in the apprehension of several notorious criminals, GP Singh was finally released. The court had previously barred him from staying in Raipur. Throughout the entire case, GP Singh has refrained from making any statements to the media.