Guwahati (03.04.2024): Around two weeks after the complaint was lodged with the police alleging that ADG CRPF in the North East Zone had harassed a woman employee at the Guwahati airport, Binod Kumar Singh (IPS: 1994: UP) has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre on Tuesday.
On March 18, 2024, the Chief Airport Officer of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport in Guwahati submitted a complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Guwahati West, alleging that the IPS officer had harassed an airport employee which was forwarded to the Guwahati Commissioner of Police Diganta Barah (IPS: 2004: AM). A preliminary enquiry into the allegations was carried out under a woman officer.
In a letter to Assam DGP G P Singh (IPS: 1991: AM) on March 27, Barah stated that the enquiry report had “opined that prima facie, a case of outraging the modesty of a woman is made out as per the versions of the woman employee and other employees” of the airport. The enquiry report, however, concluded that though “there is an element of molestation in her allegation”, the woman employee stated that “she is not interested to continue with the matter” after Singh called the Chief Airport Officer and apologised.
Singh was appointed Additional Director General in the CRPF on deputation for four years in June 2023. The complaint submitted by the Chief Airport Officer Utpal Baruah stated that Singh had been provided services at the departure lounge at the airport on March 17, following a request from an officer in the administration department of his office, and that a woman employee posted in the lounge had raised a complaint the next day.
As per the complaint, the employee alleged that the IPS officer had initiated a conversation about her job and family with her, made comments about her smile, insisted that she take his phone number and asked her to message him. The woman alleged that Singh wanted to hug her and despite her unwillingness and saying no, he pulled her towards himself and tried to hug her forcefully.
The Assam police acknowledged the receipt of the complaint. Guwahati Commissioner of Police Barah said that no case had been registered as “complainant withdrew the complaint”. The woman employee informed them the next day that Singh had “apologised profusely” and that she did not want to pursue the matter further.
