Now, sex & sleaze in UP police scam

Uttar Pradesh's (UP's) murky police story is not limited to predictable elements such as bribes, corruption and favouritism anymore. The latest expose is one which involves sex and sleaze.

On Sunday, seven more IPS officers were suspended and as many as 7,400 more cops dismissed in perhaps the worst scandal to hit UP ever. The Mulayam Singh government had recruited 22,000 cops in 2005 and the total number of cops dismissed till now has already touched 18,000, indicating the extent of corruption involved. A total of 25 IPS officers and close to a 100 other police personnel have been suspended so far for being a part of the scam.

In an obvious indication to a powerful former cabinet minister, Shailja Kant Misra, Additional Director General, Special Task Force, told reporters that a top Samajwadi Party (SP) leader was involved in the sexual exploitation of women candidates who had applied for the 1,200-odd jobs of wireless operators and other posts in the radio wing of UP Police (UPP).

“It is a matter of great shame… I was ashamed when I heard the charges from the candidates themselves, and I am even more ashamed to relate them now,” Misra said. He said some candidates had also alleged that an IPS officer used to take these female candidates to the top SP leader.

“The extent of irregularities done in these recruitments is unprecedented," Misra said.