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The Union home ministry deputed two Border Security Force (BSF) deputy commandants to the Delhi Police. The decision was taken on September 3 this year after a request was made by the Delhi Police.

The two BSF officers, identified as Pawan Kumar and Sudhir Kumar, were to be on deputation for one year as additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) of the Delhi Police.

However, the Delhi Police has said replying to India Today’s Right to Information (RTI) query that the two BSF officers did not join the force as indicated by the Union home ministry.

India Today filed an RTI application with the Delhi Police to find out whether it was a regular practice that officers of deputy commandant-level from paramilitary forces get deputed to the Delhi Police.

India Today asked two questions to the Delhi Police:

  1. 1. Two deputy commandants of the Border Security Force came on deputation to Delhi Police in September 2021. When did the Delhi Police request their services and when did they join? Please provide timeline.
  2. 2. Has the Delhi Police ever brought in non-IPS [Indian Police Service] officers from the central paramilitary services on deputation? If yes, please provide details.

The Delhi Police replied, “This information cannot be provided as it falls under the purview of Section 8 (1) (j) of RTI Act 2005.”

This section exempts the information which would cause unwarranted invasion of privacy of the individual unless the PIO [Public Information Officer] or the appellate authority is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of such information.

India Today subsequently filed an appeal against the Delhi Police’s denial of information under the RTI Act. This time, the Establishment Department of the Delhi Police said, “No one from Border Security Force in the Rank of Deputy Commandant came on deputation to the Delhi Police in September 2021.”

This is in contrast to the Union home ministry’s notification of September 3. The notification said the home ministry had approved the Delhi Police’s request of 27 August 2021 to attach two deputy commandants of the BSF with the Delhi police.

Responding to the second query, the Delhi Police said, “Since, the old records/files up to the year 2014 has been destroyed [copy enclosed], hence the information cannot be provided. However, the Delhi Police has not brought in non-IPS officers from the central paramilitary services on deputation after the year of 2014.”

The status of two BSF officers curiously remains unknown in the RTI responses by the Delhi Police.

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India today

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