Minister Anil Vij Clashes with SP Upasana Singh Over Police Suspension
A strong disagreement occurred between Haryana Minister Anil Vij and Kaithal Superintendent of Police (SP) Upasana Singh. The argument happened on Friday. It was about the suspension of a police officer. A video of the dispute has appeared online. This has made SP Upasana Singh a talking point. She is the police chief in Kaithal.
Minister Anil Vij and SP Upasana Singh Clash
The heated exchange took place during a meeting of the District Grievance Redressal Committee in Kaithal. Minister Anil Vij, who oversees Energy, Transport, and Labour, was leading the session. He told SP Upasana that he had ordered the suspension of an Assistant Sub-Inspector. This was due to a land dispute case.
SP Upasana Singh Explains Her Position
A resident had accused the ASI of wrongdoing. SP Upasana Singh, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, explained that the ASI was from a different district (Karnal). She stated that suspending him was not within her power. Minister Vij insisted that she should write to the Director General of Police (DGP). He said, “I am ordering his (ASI’s) suspension.”
However, the IPS officer maintained she lacked the authority. She said this power belonged to the SP of Kurukshetra or the Haryana DGP. Minister Vij then told SP Upasana to leave if she could not follow his order. He repeated that she should write to the DGP to carry out the suspension.
Minister Vij’s Firm Stance
A video from the meeting shows Vij declaring, “My order runs throughout Haryana.” This was met with applause from those present. The SP responded that she could write the letter but could not issue the suspension herself. The complainant in the case, present at the meeting, pointed to the SP and said, “Madam, you do this every time.”
Deputy Commissioner Steps In
Seeing the rising tension, Kaithal Deputy Commissioner Aparajita intervened. She told Minister Vij that the SP had agreed to write to the DGP. Minister Vij, looking at SP Upasana, said, “You write to the DGP to suspend him (the ASI)… I will see who does not obey (the order).”
Background of the ASI Suspension Case
Sources indicate that Assistant Sub-Inspector Sandeep allegedly took ₹7 lakh from a land buyer. Later, the land documents were found to be faulty. The buyer canceled the deal and asked for his money back. ASI Sandeep reportedly refused. A case was then filed at the Titram police station in Kaithal. Investigations suggested Sandeep used his position to delay the case. He also tried to move it to the Economic Offences Wing in Karnal.
Minister Anil Vij later stated, “Whether it is me or any other officer, we are here for the public. We are here to ensure that the common public gets justice. That is why we should treat everyone equally.” He added, “I have not ordered the suspension of the SP. Whoever has the authority should be told that these orders (of suspension) have been given by me.”
About SP Upasana Singh
Upasana Singh is an IPS officer from the 2017 batch. She comes from Rewari district in Haryana. Her village is Nangal Mundi. After training in Hyderabad, she was assigned to her home state cadre. Upasana has a strong academic record. She ranked 596th in the 2017 UPSC exams, and 95th in the OBC category. She is an IIT graduate and was a topper there. She also topped the matriculation exams in Haryana.
Her father is a teacher. Her elder sister, Namrata Singh, is a doctor. Her younger brother, Deepak, is preparing for competitive exams. Before joining the IPS, Upasana worked as a Sales Tax Inspector in Gurugram.
