https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

How An IPS Officer Became A Political Scapegoat

He is one of the rare IPS officers in the country to be appointed SSP of same district thrice - that too a state capital – within a period of four years. The 1983-batch IPS officer of UP Cadre Mr O.P. Singh in a candid conversation, revealed the reasons behind these transfers and how he was made a political fall guy. Herewith the excerpts of the second part of an exclusive interview with Mr Singh…
Indian Masterminds Stories

In the second part of the interview with Indian Masterminds woven around his memoirs Crime, Grime, and Gumption— case files of an IPS officer—Mr. OP Singh speaks about the tumultuous years for the UP bureaucracy, sparked off by the compulsions of coalition politics. Between 1989 and 2003, average tenure of a bureaucrat in U.P. was barely few months. Mr Singh, citing his own career, discusses the events that led to his appointment as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Lucknow three times: in 1994, 1995, and 1998.

WATCH SECOND PART HERE:

The first time he was appointed to helm law and order of the state capital was when he had ‘engaged’ (as he calls encounter killngs) a dreaded Gurjar gangster, Mahendra Fauji, carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh, in Bulandshahar. BSP leader Mayawati, then a coalition partner in the state government, blamed him for her party’s debacle in an Assembly by election in Hastinapur (Meerut), as Gurjars deserted her party because of the encounter. He was transferred out from Buladhshahar to Lucknow.

Barely few months later, she pressurised the state government led by Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav to suspend him for the Fauji encounter. Yadav, however, transferred him to Allahabad as SSP Kumbh Mela. Mr Singh was transferred back to Lucknow at midnight on June 1, 1995. BSP had withdrawn support to the state government a day earlier. Again, Mr Sook charge at 1 pm on June 2 and four hours later, BSP MLAs were assaulted by Samajwadi Party workers at State Guest House on Meera Bai Marg in Lucknow. Next day, Mayawati was sworn in as Chief Minister with BJP’s support. Mr Singh was the first casualty. He was transferred out once again ‘for merely doing his duty’.

He was posted as SSP Lucknow for the third time by the then Chief Minister Kalyan Singh for the third time in 1998. His stint was known for combating organised crime in Lucknow.

Mr Singh later rose on to become the DGP of the state. He also led two formidable paramilitary forces: the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

(In the concluding part of the interview, to be uploaded soon, Mr Singh talks about his tenue as the DGP, also known as Encounter Raj, during Yogi Adityanath’s tenue as Chief Minister.)

As the title itself conveys, the book is written very lucidly and in a racy style. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to know about the events that took place in the U.P. from the late 1980s to the summer of 2020. These include Babri Masque’s demolition, subsequent riots, Sikh terrorism in Terai and frequent political upheavals in the state, impacting the bureaucracy.

Please click on the link below to watch the first part of the interview-


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
images - 2023-04-21T090510
India Becomes First Nation to Achieve Artificial Breeding of Great Indian Bustard
Neha Meena IAS
Jhabua Collector Neha Meena (IAS) to Receive Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Governance
Ravi Shankar Shukla IAS
PM Modi to Award DC Ravi Shankar Shukla (IAS) for Excellence in Aspirational Block Programme in Seraikela-Kharsawan District, Jharkhand
Cheetah-resized
2 Cheetahs Pavak and Prabhash to be Shifted from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Major Wildlife Expansion Effort
Pallavi Akurathi IAS
IAS Officer Pallavi Akurathi Files Cyber Complaint After Being Cheated in Online Sari Purchase
ChhattisgarhGovt_resized
41 IAS Officers Get New Postings in Chhattisgarh, Collectors of 11 Districts Got Reshuffled; Kunal Dudawat Made DC, Dantewada
CBI
CBI Registers FIR Against Former IAS Officers in Alleged NAN Case Manipulation
Judiciary_india
Former IAS Officer Pradeep Sharma Sentenced to 5 Years in 2011 Bhuj Land Allotment Case
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
This Collector Finds Happiness In Squeaks Of Children With Hearing Impairment Who Start Hearing After Surgery
Meghashree D R IAS
How Wayanad’s Women Turned a Disaster into a Dream Project
UPSC Stories
images (14)
Utsav Anand, the UPSC Topper Who Chose Public Service Over a Plush Career
From IIT Bombay to the 2022 IAS batch (Haryana cadre), Utsav Anand’s journey is proof that sharp minds...
pushplata-yadav-ias
How IAS Pushp Lata’s Strategy and Spirit Took Her to AIR 80
From rural Haryana to IAS, Pushp Lata Yadav’s journey reflects focused planning, adaptation, and the...
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
IRS officer Padmapani Bora's 16-year career transcends typical bureaucracy. Discover his surprising journey...
Social Media
GozJlgrXYAAHoKv
Murals for Cleanliness: Thoothukudi District Launches Art-Inspired Sanitation Drive in Panchayats
Local artists add colour and messages to village walls, promoting hygiene and community pride
Himanshu Nagpal IAS
Varanasi's Beggar Rehabilitation Initiative Recognised by UIDAI, CDO Himanshu Nagpal Shares the News
Mr. Himanshu Nagpal is a 2019-batch IAS officer
IAS Vaishali Chopra
Young IAS Vaishali Chopra Takes a Stand Against Caste Bias During Field Training in Uttar Pradesh
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
images (14)
Utsav Anand, the UPSC Topper Who Chose Public Service Over a Plush Career
GozJlgrXYAAHoKv
Murals for Cleanliness: Thoothukudi District Launches Art-Inspired Sanitation Drive in Panchayats
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
Meghashree D R IAS
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT