ASI GOES TO HIS OFFICE ONCE IN A MONTH

ASI GOES TO HIS OFFICE ONCE IN A MONTH

10-MAY-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------A report from Ranchi, Jharkhand, reveals that an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) visits his office only once a month—solely to mark his attendance. Otherwise, he spends his time in Varanasi, Deoghar, or Jamshedpur, engaging exclusively in religious rituals and worship. Although he is nominally assigned to the 'Dial 112' service, whenever he has been spotted, he is invariably found performing *pujas* (worship ceremonies)—either accompanying a patron in Varanasi, visiting Deoghar, or staying in Jamshedpur. He even conducts religious ceremonies at the residence of the Inspector General (IG) in Ranchi. The reason no official takes disciplinary action against him—the ASI, named Neeraj Kumar—is due to his deep-rooted connections with high-ranking officers; it is these connections that allow him to remain absent from duty with impunity. If his mobile phone location data were to be tracked, it would immediately become evident just how few days he actually reports for duty; however, the question remains: who would dare to take action against him? Sources further suggest that he is also involved in the buying and selling of land. Several videos and photographs, gathered through various sources, depict him sitting with his patrons and performing *pujas* in Varanasi. This raises two critical questions: Who grants him leave for such extended periods? And secondly, does his prolonged absence from duty occur with the tacit collusion of the administration? One thing is certain: the administration, too, is involved in this matter in some capacity.