7 Rajasthan cops tracked SP Jyeshtha Maitrei’s location via her mobile; suspended

ALWAR: Seven police officers posted in Bhiwadi district cyber cell in Rajasthan have been suspended on charges that they were illegally tracking the location of the superintendent of police (SP) Jyeshtha Maitrei, people familiar with the matter said.

The seven including sub-inspector Shravan Joshi, who headed the district cyber cell, were suspended after a preliminary investigation supported the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer’s allegations.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jaipur range, Ajay Pal Lambha said the cyber cell personnel traced the SP’s location on 15 occasions. “This is the first time such an incident has happened, and this is a crime,” Lamba said.

It is, however, not clear why the cyber cell was tracking the district SP’s mobile phone.

Lamba said this would be something that needs to be probed. “The investigation has been given to an officer of the rank of deputy SP, who will submit a report in a day or two, with a focus on the motive behind the act,” the IGP said, adding that the action to be taken against the seven personnel would be decided after receipt of this report.

Asked, Jyeshtha Maitrei, a 2017 batch IPS officer, said she had been told that seven police personnel had been suspended. “I am the victim of this conspiracy, how can I give details,” Maitrei, who had complained to police headquarters, said.

Apart from Shravan Joshi, the other cyber cell personnel who have been suspended are head constable Avnish Kumar and constables Rahul, Satish, Deepak, Bhim and Rohitash have been suspended.

Maitrei, who hailed from Madhya Pradesh’s Guna, passed the civil services examination in 2017. After completing the training in 2018, she took charge as the assistant SP in Girwa Circle of Udaipur. She was later posted as Bhilwara SP and subsequently served as deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Crime Branch in Jaipur.