SHILLONG: The state government on Tuesday temporarily allowed the senior most police official, R Awasthi, DG, Civil Defence and Home Guards, to look after the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) in addition to his own current duties.
Awasthi was asked to look after the state police since Meghalaya DGP Swaraj Bir Singh retired from service on Tuesday.
A notification issued by the state government on Tuesday said Awasthi “is being temporarily allowed to look after the office of the Director General of Police pending approval of the Union Public Service Commission and in the interest of public services”.
The notification also said the order will immediately cease on the appointment of a full-time DGP.
Awasthi, who was accused of causing the death of a businessman in police custody when he was the SP of Golaghat district of Assam from June 1994 to January 1996, is set to retire within a few months. Earlier, Awasthi refused to comment on the matter.
Singh, while talking to media persons on the last day of his service, said as far as modernisation is concerned, the state police have more mobility now and there is a lot of difference as far as communication is concerned.
However, he stressed the need for more modernisation in investigation.
When asked if the militant groups, including HNLC, are trying to regroup, the outgoing DGP said, “Some elements of HNLC are staying in Bangladesh but they are ineffective and they have been contained.”
Stating that the Bangladesh government does not support any illegal outfit, he said HNLC’s activities “are not of any concern”.
The retired DGP asked the state police not to lower its guard and to keep performing and serving the people of Meghalaya.
“The Meghalaya Police has come a long way and it has taken on militancy and also achieved tremendous success,” said Singh, who was given extension of three months after his superannuation earlier this year.
The IPS officer from the 1986 Assam-Meghalaya cadre said he would now give more time to his family.
Asking the young police officers to live up to the expectations of the department, Singh asserted that the battle against militancy has been going on for a long time and police could contain militants with the combination of different forces like SOT, SF-10, senior and young officers.