The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken decisive action by instructing the Jharkhand State Government to immediately remove Anurag Gupta from his position as the Acting Director General of Police (DGP). Sources informed ANI that the ECI issued this directive on Saturday, mandating that Gupta hand over his responsibilities to the senior-most officer at the DGP level available within the cadre.
According to the order, the Jharkhand Government must comply with these directives and report back by 7 pm today. Furthermore, the state administration is required to submit a panel of senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers by 10 am on October 21, 2024.
This decision is rooted in Gupta's controversial history, which includes multiple complaints and actions taken by the Commission against him during previous electoral processes. Notably, during the 2019 General Elections for the Lok Sabha, Gupta was removed from his role as Additional Director General (ADG) of the Special Branch following allegations of biased conduct made by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the ruling party in Jharkhand. He was subsequently reassigned to the Resident Commissioner's Office in Delhi and barred from returning to Jharkhand until the election concluded.
Moreover, in the 2016 Biennial Elections for the Council of States from Jharkhand, Gupta, then serving as Additional DGP, faced serious accusations of misusing his authority. In response, the ECI formed an inquiry committee, which substantiated the claims and led to a charge sheet being filed against him for departmental inquiry. Additionally, a case (No. 154/18) was registered at Jagannathpur Thana under Sections 171(B)(E) and 171(C)(F) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In 2021, the Jharkhand government granted permission for an investigation under Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
