Key facts
- The Supreme Court ordered the UP government and Centre to conclude disciplinary proceedings against ex-IPS Amitabh Thakur within six months.
- Thakur was compulsorily retired in March 2021 due to being deemed unfit for public service.
- Four disciplinary proceedings were pending against Thakur.
- Thakur alleged that these proceedings have been ongoing for 10 years, delaying his retiral dues.
- He had requested the proceedings be concluded within three months.
The Supreme Court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre to finalize all pending disciplinary actions against former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Amitabh Thakur within a six-month period. Thakur, who was part of the 1992 UP cadre, was compulsorily retired by the Union Home Ministry on March 23, 2021, citing that he was unfit for public service following multiple departmental inquiries.
Appearing before a bench of justices Satish Chandra Sharma and Sanjeev Sachdeva, lawyer Ruchira Goel, representing the state government, acknowledged that four disciplinary proceedings were ongoing against Thakur. Thakur, on his part, contended that these proceedings have been protracted for the past decade, leading to the non-payment of his retiral dues, including a gratuity fund of Rs 10 lakh. He had petitioned the court to direct the authorities to conclude these matters within three months.
Thakur's career was characterized by persistent friction with successive state governments. Notably, he faced suspension in 2015 after releasing an audio recording of a purported threatening phone call from Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.