Judge who made cop take offhis uniform transferred

The Agra court judge, who had made a constable of the state police take off his uniform in an open court here for ‘failing’ to allow passage to the judge’s car on Friday, was transferred by the registrar general of the Allahabad high court on Saturday.

The transfer of the judge was ordered after the report on the incident was forwarded by the Agra SSP to the state DGP in Lucknow and senior judicial officers at the Allahabad high court.

Ghurelal, 58, a driver with UP police, was blamed and ‘punished’ by the judge for not giving passage to the former’s vehicle on Friday afternoon.

Senior superintendent of police, Agra, Babloo Kumar took up the matter on Friday and asked SP (rural) Ravi Kumar to file a report.

The SP (rural) visited the court located on the outskirt of the city and submitted a report to the SSP, who, in turn, forwarded the matter to the district judge of Agra, to the registrar general of the high court of judicature at Allahabad and to the administrative judge of the region.

The matter was brought to the knowledge of UP director general of police (DGP) Om Prakash Singh, who then took up the matter at an appropriate level.

The DGP said he stood by the dignity of each and every police personnel.

“The constable, having a good track record, was much disturbed after the incident and wanted voluntary retirement but was consoled,” stated the SSP who had asked fellow cops ‘not to leave the constable alone’.

The constable was called in the court by the judge and scolded for not allowing passage to the officer’s car despite blowing of horn and siren. The angry judge then asked the cop to take off his uniform.

Later, after repeated apologies, he was allowed to put on his uniform.

“Ghurelal was driving a ‘Vajra’, a police vehicle, and was taking an accused in custody to be presented before a court. The driver said the road on the outskirts was narrow and being aged he could not respond to the horn from the judge’s car,” Ravi Kumar, superintendent of police (SP), rural west, had said on Friday. Despite repeated efforts, the judge could not be reached for his comments on the issue.