Nagaon DSP Sabita Das reinstated

The Gauhati High Court keeping aside her suspension has reinstated Nagaon district Deputy Superintendent of Police Sabita Das to her rank and post on Friday as the Assam Government failed to frame charges against her in an alleged bribery case within the stipulated time frame of three months.

"Forget framing of charges, even notice was not served to Das in these months. The government failed to show any step taken in this case. So, the suspension order was set aside by the court," said the official's advocate Iftiquer Rafique.

The senior official was suspended on September 17, 2018, following a departmental inquiry conducted by Additional DGP (Administration) against her, a report of which was submitted on September 07.

According to reports, Das had filed a writ petition on October 10, following her suspension pertaining to the bribery allegations. In the petition she had claimed that she had been a victim of departmental rivalry for raising questions over the "nexus of some of the police officials with criminals".

It may be noted that on September 03, a complaint had been lodged against the DSP by Saurav Hazarika, a resident of Panigaon area in Nagaon town. Hazarika had alleged that senior official of demanding a bribe of Rs 40,000 from him.

According to the complainant, he was busy in a conversation with his three friends inside his car at around 12-30 am on August 31 in front of his house. At that moment a police team led by DSP Sabita Das reached the area and brought them to police station. Police released them the next day around 4 pm, but the DSP seized his driving licence and car registration documents. When he requested them to return his documents, an employee of the police station named Jyoti Khound told him that, he will get it if he pays Rs 40,000.

(With inputs from PTI)