The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has issued a notice to dismiss an officer in the rank of Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) amid allegations of sexual harassment, a CRPF official said on Friday.
The officer, Khajan Singh, was posted as the chief sports officer of the CRPF when the allegations emerged, following which he was suspended in 2021. He is currently posted in Mumbai.
After he won five gold medals at the national swimming championship in 1982, he received the Arjuna Award in 1984. He also won a silver in the 200m butterfly event at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. It was India’s first medal in swimming at the event since 1951.
The Union Home Ministry had initiated the process of dismissing the officer on charges of sexual harassment levelled against him by some women working in the paramilitary force, the official said.
A notice for dismissal was issued against Mr. Singh after the Ministry accepted the recommendation of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The final orders will be issued after taking into consideration the reply received from the accused officer within 15 days, the official said.
The notice for dismissal was issued recently after a probe conducted by the CRPF found him “guilty” on charges of sexual harassment.
The CRPF headquarters accepted the probe report prepared by the internal committee and forwarded it to the UPSC and the Home Ministry for taking appropriate disciplinary action. The UPSC and the Ministry have hence issued orders for dismissal against Mr. Singh, the official said.
The officer is facing at least two such charges and the notice for dismissal has been issued in one case. The other case too is in progress, the official said.
