Lucknow: The heat of crime scorches even the ‘elders’ of khaki. Manilal Patidar, a 2014 batch IPS officer surrounded by serious allegations of corruption and abetting Mahoba’s crusher businessman to commit suicide, has been dismissed. This is the first case in Uttar Pradesh in more than two decades, when an IPS officer has been shown the way out of service in a criminal case.
There was an allegation of abetment to suicide
Manilal Patidar, originally a resident of Dungarpur in Rajasthan, is lodged in Lucknow Jail for inciting a crusher businessman to commit suicide. The state government had recommended Patidar’s dismissal in June 2022, which was dismissed by the Union Home Ministry on December 29, 2022 after the approval of the President. Although the UP police kept on digesting this action.
Name removed from the list of IPS
The elders, who took action against the corrupt policemen under the policy of zero tolerance, did not let anyone get a whiff of the whip on the tainted of their cadre. Patidar’s name has also been removed from the list of IPS officers. Manilal Patidar, the then SP of Mahoba, was suspended by the government on September 9, 2020. In September 2020, a case was registered against Patidar in Mahoba under other sections including abetting the crusher businessman to commit suicide.
The matter of the year 2020
The crusher businessman had lost his life in September, 2020 in the recovery game of the police. Patidar was attached to the DGP headquarters after his suspension, but he was absconding. Patidar, who was on the run for almost two years, was declared a proclaimed offender by the police but could not arrest him. The Patidar surrendered easily in the Lucknow court on October 15, 2022, and the police remained spectators.
assets worth more than 50 crores
Questions were also raised several times on the working style of the police regarding action against Patidars. A vigilance inquiry was also conducted in the case of disproportionate assets against the Patidar who was found guilty in the departmental enquiry. The ED had also started investigation by registering a case against Patidar under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. According to sources, the ED had gathered information about Patidar’s assets worth about Rs 50 crore.
Many of these properties are in the names of his relatives and there are many benami properties as well. His properties in Rajasthan and Gujarat had come to the fore. In the Vigilance investigation also, the fact of Patidar conspiring transfers of subordinate police officers for extortion from crusher traders was also revealed.
used to transfer soon
Patidar had transferred the then Inspector Devendra Shukla twice in six months. Inspector Devendra Shukla is also accused in the case of abetting the crusher businessman to commit suicide. The facts of hasty transfers of many other Thanedars against Patidar had also come to the fore. There are also serious allegations against Patidar of harassing the contractors engaged in carrying the construction material of Bundelkhand Expressway.