Express News Service
SRINAGAR: Orissa-born J&K-cadre IPS officer Basant Rath, who is under suspension for about two years, has resigned from the Indian Police Service to enter politics. He is the second senior civil servant of Jammu and Kashmir cadre, after 2010-batch IAS topper Shah Faesal, to resign from the job to join politics.
Rath, a 50-year-old 2000 batch IPS officer, posted his resignation letter on the social media on Sunday. He also tweeted, “Politics is a noble profession.” Rath had earlier posted on Twitter, “If I ever join a political party, it WILL be BJP. If I ever contest an election, it WILL be from Kashmir. If I ever join politics, it WILL be before March 6, 2024”.
Rath has served in J&K on several posts, including IGP Traffic, wherein he invited controversy for his no-nonsense style in regulating traffic in Srinagar and Jammu. He had won both laurels and criticism for his style of working, and had earned the title “dabang”.
He had won admirers for shipping study material for competitive exams free of cost to youth in remote areas. He was suspended in July 2020 for alleged misconduct and misbehavior. He was posted in Home Guards and Civil Defence.
Rath had on June 12, 2020 indirectly accused DGP Dilbagh Singh of owning 50 kanals land in Jammu. He had later lodged a police complaint against Singh, alleging threat to his life and liberty and stating that in case anything untoward happens to him, the DGP should be held responsible.
