Race for “MIC ONE” begins

Finally the second list of transfers and postings for IPS officers is out…and now temperatures are running high in the Khakhi department…as yet another list is expected anytime soon…and that will be of senior level offices in the department. Whispers doing rounds in the department is that the race has already begun for the top post…i.e “MIC ONE”… Whispers in Tamil Nadu had already reported that the present DGP K.Ramanujam is likely to be relieved of the post of DGP (L&O) and will be asked only to concentrate fully on the State intelligence…as there has been continuous intelligence failure in the past …which resulted in huge embarrassment for the AIADMK government.

Now the actual race to get to the top seat has begun…the main contenders are…

Narinder Pal Singh, a 1980 batch IPS officer

Anoop Jaiswal, a 1980 batch IPS officer

Bhola Nath, a 1976 batch IPS officer ….and

S K Upadhyay, a 1976 batch IPS officer.

Well, who is leading the race…Buzz in the police department is some forces are strongly backing Narinder Pal Singh… But Narinder Pal Singh is an ADGP at present and he could contend to the top job only after being promoted to the rank of DGP. 

Anoop Jaiswal IPS

But Bhola Nath who was appointed as DGP by the Election Commission is also trying his luck to head the State Police. Sources close to Bhola Nath say that being the senior police officer in the State he has more chances of leading in the race and also whispers doing rounds in the department is that a strong north Indian lobby is working overtime to ensure that Bhola Nath becomes the next DGP. Allegations against Bhola Nath are also being heard inside the police headquarters…as it was reported in the media that he had links with an accused in a CBI case.

Narinder Pal Singh, a 1980 batch IPS officer could also be the lucky one to head the state police force. He is an officer who raised many eyebrows within the department by filing his property returns with the Ministry of Home Affairs. Narinder Pal Singh is the only officer in the Tamil Nadu IPS cadre, who has created history in recent times to hold not even a single immovable property, according to his property returns submitted to the MHA. However, sources say the now it’s being subjected to verification and also sources say others in the department are also trying to dig for more details…this cross checking is done to ensure everything is clean…so that it should not create any embarrassment for the AIADMK government in the future.  

S K Upadhyay, a 1976 batch officer is yet to be promoted to the rank of DGP…while his batch mates have been promoted and appointed as DGPs. Upadhyay’s fortunes are yet to see the light of the day and this is because he was made a scapegoat by the DMK to escape from the infamous “Phone Tapping case”…Khakhi sources say once the phone conversations were leaked in media Upadhyay was victimized by the then DMK government…as the then Chief Minister Karunanidhi was rattled when he heard the then Chief Secretary L K Tripathy and the then Vigilance Director S K Upadhyay discussing DMK government’s ulterior design to fix the present Chief Minister Jayalilathaa in the Kodanadu Estate case. Sources say despite mounting pressure on him to implicate Jaya in Kodanadu Estate case…Upadhyay did not yield to the pressure is something that  the AIADMK government seems to be considering as a valid reason for his appointment. The buzz is also that DGP Ramanujam, has personally suggested Upadhyay’s name for the top job.  

Ramanujam IPS and Bhola Nath IPS

In order to save their skin…the then DMK Chief appointed a one man commission headed by Justice Shanmugam and S K Upadhyay was found guilty and 
was suspended. It is alleged that Upadhyay’s career was spoilt by suspended DVAC employee A Shankar who is alleged to have leaked the conversation…This became a blot on the landscape for Upadhyay. Later on he was sidelined and left in lurch.

R.Natraj,IPS

A departmental enquiry by R.Natraj, former DGP  held the charges against Upadyay as not proved and also held him as not responsible for the leakage.  Though charges were cleared against Upadhyay, the DMK government chose to keep the inquiry pending to facilitate Letika Saran to become the DGP (L&O).  If the charges were cleared Letika Saran would have become ineligible to become the  DGP.   

According to the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Prakash Singh’s case only one among the senior most 3 DGPs could be selected for the top job. Next to R.Natraj and K.Vijayakumar, Upadhyay is the senior most person in the State.

As of now the race for the top post in Tamil Nadu police has begun and the participants leave no stone unturned to ensure their success.