Before DSP Kalpana Verma, the ‘relationships’ of these six police officers in Chhattisgarh Police had also created a stir

While the case of DSP Kalpana Verma and businessman Deepak Tandon in Chhattisgarh may be recent, it’s not the first time serious questions have been raised about the personal relationships and ethical conduct of senior officers in the state’s police department. Prior to DSP Kalpana Verma, several DSPs and IPS officers in Chhattisgarh have been accused of rape, domestic violence, illicit relationships, and obscene videos, which resonated from police headquarters to the courts.

The list of these controversial cases includes the names of police officers like IPS Ratanlal Dangi, Pawan Dev, Sanjay Sharma, DSP Yakub Menon, and Vinod Minj. A woman accused an officer of rape, while others were accused of having an affair with a subordinate’s wife, and the emergence of obscene videos elsewhere raised questions about the department’s credibility.

In this context, the DSP Kalpana Verma case has once again sparked a debate about how when the personal lives of responsible officers in khaki uniforms in the Chhattisgarh Police become public controversy, it impacts the credibility of the entire police system. These cases involving the Chhattisgarh Police have made it clear that this is not just a single case, but a recurring pattern that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

1. IAS Ratan Lal Dangi: SI’s wife alleges sexual exploitation
Ratanlal Dangi, a 2003 batch IPS officer in the Chhattisgarh cadre, was accused of mental and physical abuse by the wife of a sub-inspector. The woman alleged that Dangi pressured her by threatening to transfer her husband. Dangi accused the woman of blackmailing and conspiracy.

Senior IPS Ratanlal Dangi is originally a resident of Malas village in Nagaur district, Rajasthan. Born on August 1, 1973, to Suman Lal and Bhanwari Devi, Dangi is the youngest of four siblings. Following the allegations, Dangi was removed from his position as Director of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose State Police Academy, Chandkhuri, Chhattisgarh, and attached to the PHQ, Raipur.

2. IPS Pawan Dev: Lady Constable’s Allegation of Obscene Phone Calls
A female constable accused senior Chhattisgarh cadre IPS officer Pawan Dev of calling her at her official residence at midnight, making obscene remarks, and pressuring her to his bungalow. In the case of Pawan Dev, who served as IG of the Bilaspur Range, the Vishakha Committee, constituted on the Supreme Court’s instructions, found him guilty. The matter reached the Central Government, and the Union Home Ministry requested a report.

3. IPS Sanjay Sharma: Female ASI Alleges Molestation
A female ASI accused Chhattisgarh Police AIG and IPS officer Sanjay Sharma of molestation, sending obscene SMS, and making lewd comments. The inquiry committee confirmed the incident on April 7, 2015, and he was dismissed in August 2015. After nearly three years of suspension, he was reinstated, although he was punished with the withholding of three increments.

4. DSP Vinod Minj: Woman alleges rape
A woman accused DSP Vinod Minj, posted in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, of raping, assaulting, and threatening her after promising to marry her. The woman alleged that Minj, claiming to be a bachelor, proposed marriage and had physical relations with her. Later, it was revealed that he was married and had two children.

5. DSP Tomesh Verma: Doctor’s wife alleges rape
In Durg, a doctor’s wife accused DSP Tomesh Verma of assault and rape. The woman stated that Verma forcibly entered their home and had physical relations with her. The victim later filed an FIR at the Mohan Nagar police station.

6. SDOP Yakub Memon: Woman alleges rape and making obscene videos
In Balrampur, a married woman accused SDOP Yakub Memon of rape, making obscene videos, and blackmailing her. Memon denied the allegations and accused the woman of blackmailing and filing a false case. He said that the woman was pressuring him to transfer the house to her name.