Batra: Facing a probe

Ranchi, Jan. 4: What kind of gifts can children expect on their birthdays? An official communication has now revealed that if they happen to be children of the SP, they might actually receive as much as Rs 50,000 in cash.

Each of the twin sons of an IPS officer, as per a letter sent by the Jamshedpur SP Ashish Batra, received last month a gift of Rs 50,000 in cash from an unidentified well-wisher.

Batra was merely following the rules. All India Service Rules specify that if serving officers or their dependants receive a cash gift of over Rs 5,000, it is mandatory for them to inform the state government.

Since Batra?s letter failed to mention the name of the donor, director general of police V.D. Ram is learnt to have ordered a probe by additional girector-general (police modernisation) Neyaz Ahmed.

Batra, however, remained unruffled when contacted in Jamshedpur. He said it was his brother-in-law and his father-in-law, who between the two of them had gifted the sum of Rs one lakh to his twin sons, who completed one year in November last year. The payment, moreover, was made by cheque, he claimed, and not in cash.

He admitted in his letter to the DGP, he had not mentioned this fact and added that he was open to any inquiry.

Considerable confusion appeared to prevail over the rules governing receipt of gifts. Even senior police officials confessed their ignorance about the rules and some of them said they would look up the rules tonight itself.

Police headquarters claimed that in case of gifts valued at more than Rs 5,000, a certificate from the donor is mandatory, signed by the donor and certifying that the gift was meant for a particular occasion and not for services rendered. The donor is also expected to introduce himself, mention his occupation and explain his sources of income etc.

The DGP, when contacted, said, ?All officers should know that one has to produce a signed certificate if they receive gifts above the specified amount and also furnish the required information as laid down in the service code.?

The headquarters, he said, must be informed of the donor, his address and other details as well.

But neither the DGP nor other officers would disclose if Batra?s letter is the only one or the first such letter received by the government.

Inspector General of Police Rajeev Kumar confessed that he did not remember the relevant rule. But, he claimed, even if officers buy an expensive consumer good, they are expected to keep the department informed.

The incident has raised more questions than answers. Few officers apparently bother to follow this particular provision of the service rules. Why then did Batra take the initiative to write the letter? Is this the first time he has received gifts valued at more than Rs 5,000? If not, did he inform the headquarters on earlier occasions too?

If the gift is given by cheque, it can be easily traced to the bank but what if the gifts are in cash?