Odisha: VIP treatment for accused in multi-crore scam, cops suspended

Five policemen in Odisha’s Keonjhar district were suspended on Tuesday after they allegedly provided VIP treatment to the main accused arrested in the Rs 1,800 crore Uliburu mines scam.

The policemen were suspended after they allegedly allowed Deepak Gupta, an accused in a multi-crore-rupee mining scam, to stay in a hotel instead of a government hospital. Gupta was admitted to the Sriram Chandra Bhanj Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on 8 February after he complained of illness. During his treatment, he allegedly stayed in a hotel for a few nights where a room was booked under someone else’s name.

The policemen were meant to guard him and ensure that he did not escape. However, they did not inform their superiors that Gupta stayed in a hotel, said Jalan. “They were suspended for dereliction of duty,” Jalan added. The suspended policemen include one havaldar and four constables said District Superintendent of Police Kavita Jalan.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party later slammed the government over the incident. Terming the suspension of the policemen as eyewash, BJP state unit chief spokesman Suresh Pujari said that Gupta had managed to avoid large parts of his stint in jail by moving from one hospital citing health as an excuse.

“An accused cannot enjoy such a comfortable life without the help of top officials and ruling party leaders,” he told reporters.

Gupta was arrested by the state vigilance department in September 2013 and jailed after his bail plea was rejected.

IANS