Dehradun, March 13 Six police personnel, including the in-charge of the Iqbalpur police post in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district, were suspended on Friday after an audio clip, purportedly of a phone call linked to illegal mining activities, surfaced on social media, officials said.
The action was taken on the directions of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Haridwar SSP Navneet Singh Bhullar said the policemen were suspended after their roles in illegal mining activities were found to be suspicious. SP (Rural) Shekhar Chandra Suyal has been directed to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter.
According to the SSP, a policeman at the Iqbalpur post received a complaint regarding illegal mining in the Iqbalpur area. Instead of taking action, the policeman allegedly called the person involved in the mining to inform them of the complaint.
The SSP added that the policeman later called the complainant back and claimed that no mining was taking place. An audio clip of this conversation subsequently surfaced online.
"We have an audio recording which, prima facie, suggests the involvement of police personnel in illegal mining. In view of this, the Iqbalpur post in-charge and all other staff have been suspended," Bhullar said.
The suspended personnel are Sub-Inspector Naveen Singh Chauhan (Post In-charge), Head Constables Virendra Sharma and Harendra and Constables Vipin Kumar, Devesh Singh and Pradeep.
The chief minister said illegal mining, corruption, or any form of irregularity will not be tolerated in the state. "Strict action will be taken against officers responsible for maintaining law and order if they are found negligent in their duties or involved in improper activities," Dhami said.