NEW DELHI: In a clean-up exercise, 39 Delhi Police personnel posted on deputation in the excise department have been repatriated to their parent organisation. While many of these officials had already completed their tenure, sources confirmed there were complaints of corruption against a few of them.
The repatriated personnel include seven sub-inspectors, 16 head constables and 16 constables. “The officials are hereby stand relieved forthwith, with the direction to report to their parent department without waiting for any formal relieving orders,” read an order signed by an assistant commissioner of the excise department.
The order comes at a time when the department is engulfed in controversies over the formulation and implementation of Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. Lieutenant governor VK Saxena had on Saturday approved suspension and major disciplinary action against 11 excise officials, including an IAS officer, who was recently transferred to the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, a DANICS officer and three ad hoc DANICS officers, among others, for “deliberate lapses” in implementing the excise policy.
The action against these officials were taken on the basis of a report of the directorate of vigilance, which is headed by chief secretary Naresh Kumar.
Saxena has recommended a CBI investigation into alleged “procedural lapses” to give “undue benefits” to liquor licensees.
Sources said the excise department takes 60 Delhi Police officials, including one officer of assistant commissioner level, one inspector, nine sub-inspectors, 19 head constables and 30 constables, on deputation.
These personnel are absorbed in the excise intelligence bureau and their primary responsibility is to collect intelligence, keep surveillance and maintain information of excise offences, collect and disseminate information regarding prominent offenders and history-sheeters and detect, monitor, investigate and trial of offences under Delhi Excise Act.
“These personnel keep an eye on people smuggling non-duty paid liquor from the neighbouring states to Delhi and prevent manufacture and selling of spurious liquor,” said a senior Delhi government official.
