The Gujarat government late on February 28 shunted out Rajkot Police Commissioner Manoj Agarwal after serious allegations of corruption and extortion were levelled by three BJP leaders, including a Minister, a legislator and a Parliamentarian.
Mr. Agarwal, a 1991 batch IPS of the Gujarat cadre, has now been posted at the State Reserve Police Training Institute in Junagadh. The transfer order issued by the Home Department stated Mr. Agarwal was transferred with immediate effect.
His transfer came following a report submitted by senior IPS officer Vikas Sahai, who was asked to conduct an inquiry against him following allegations by the senior functionaries of the ruling party.
Moreover, a police inspector and a sub-inspector, who were part of Mr. Agarwal’s core team in Rajkot, have been suspended.
According to sources, the State Home Department is said to be mulling over ordering a detailed inquiry against them by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
A few weeks ago, Rajkot BJP legislator and former Minister Govind Patel wrote a letter to Junior Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi accusing Mr. Agarwal of widespread and “rampant corruption and extortion” in settling disputed land related matters in the city.
In his letter, Mr. Patel gave details of a few cases in which the Police Commissioner had allegedly taken “commission” in fraud and cheating or payment cases.
Subsequently, BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Rambhai Mokaria and State Minister Arvind Raiyani also joined in accusing the top police official of corruption and running an “extortion racket” in the city.
Stunned by the allegations by the ruling party leaders, the State government was forced to order an inquiry against Mr. Agarwal.
Mr. Sahai, who was tasked with conducting the inquiry, submitted his report to the State Home Department last week.
According to sources from Rajkot, Mr. Agarwal, a Vijay Rupani era appointee, used to take interest in settling land-related matters or disputed or litigated land matters allegedly by taking money.
“Rajkot Police crime branch had become an extortion gang in the city. With blessings of the Commissioner, PI and PSIs literally extorted money,” a BJP leader told The Hindu.
Mr. Agarwal was known to be close to Mr. Rupani, who is also incidentally facing serious corruption charges in land-related cases.
