Suspended for growing beard, cop returns clean shaven

Suspended for growing beard, cop returns clean shaven

Sandeep.Rai@timesgroup.com

Meerut:  25.10.2020 

Two days after a sub-inspector was suspended in Uttar Pradesh for growing a beard without permission, Intizar Ali, 46, was reinstated by the Baghpat SP. Ali returned, on Saturday, clean shaven with an “application admitting his mistake”.

The sub-inspector was posted at Ramala police station and had been repeatedly warned in the past.

Police uniform rules in the country do not allow beards, though moustaches are allowed. Last year, UP had revised the allowance for maintaining moustaches and sideburns of the Provincial Armed Constabulary from ₹50 to ₹250. In 2013, the Supreme Court had said that a Maharashtra cop wishing to maintain a beard during “religious period” should seek prior permission.

While Ali had earlier claimed he had sought permission in November last year, Baghpat SP refuted the claim. The suspension had kicked up a political storm. It drew criticism from Deoband ulemas as well.

Ali refused to comment on the revocation of his suspension.

“Intizar Ali came with an application stating that he had made a mistake and now he has followed the orders as desired. He was clean shaven and I immediately reinstated him,” Baghpat SP Abhishek Singh said.