Akhilesh Yadav shares video of IPS officer demanding ₹20 lakh bribe; probe on

A probe has been ordered after Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav tweeted an old video of an IPS officer demanding money from a businessman on Sunday and attacked the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh asking it whether it will take “bulldozer” action against the officer.

Anirudh Singh, an IPS officer with the UP Police, is reportedly posted in Varanasi. He is purportedly seen asking someone on a video call to arrange for ₹20 lakh. The purported video has been stated to be of the time when Singh was posted in Meerut district. The police commissioner has been asked to submit his report on the matter, news agency PTI reported.

“After this video of an IPS demanding money in UP, will the direction of bulldozers change towards him or will the BJP government get rid of the matter by adding one more name to the list of absconding IPS? The people of UP are seeing the reality of BJP’s zero-tolerance towards crime,” Akhilesh Yadav tweeted along with a 10-second clip of the video.

Responding to Yadav’s tweet, the Meerut Police said, “This video is over 2 years old and does not have any connection with Meerut. Probe has been completed in the matter.”

Later, the director general of the UP Police issued a statement saying police are probing the contents of the video, which is more than two years old.

“A video of Shri Anirudh Singh, IPS officer appointed as SP Rural in district Meerut, is going viral in which he is seen conversing with a person through video call. On the basis of the said video, allegations of corruption are being levelled against Singh,” an official release issued by the DGP said.

“The said case is 2 years old, but in view of the seriousness of the case, the Police Headquarters has inquired about it from the Commissioner Varanasi, current posting of the officer and sought a report within 3 days,” it said.

Meanwhile, the police have launched another investigation against Singh’s wife, who is also an IPS officer, over allegations made in a tweet against her of not paying rent to her landlord, PTI reported.

Aarti Singh, who is posted as DCP Varuna zone commissionerate in Varanasi, has been accused of not paying rent for her flat, the DGP office said.

“Aarti Singh is the wife of Anirudh Singh. We have come to know that Aarti Singh has paid her rent and there is no outstanding balance, but the Police Headquarters has asked Commissioner Varanasi to probe the matter and give his report within 3 days,” it said.