MHA suspends IPS officer for molesting woman tourist at Goa beach club
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New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has suspended an IPS officer with immediate effect following allegations that he has misbehaved with a woman tourist at a beach club in North Goa, the officials said.
The MHA also ordered the officer, identified as Dr. A. Koan, to not leave the Goa headquarters without the permission of authority.
An order, issued in the name of President Murmu, by MHA Under-Secretary Rakesh Kumar Singh on Wednesday stated that “the President of India, in exercise of powers conferred under Rule 3 of All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, hereby places Dr Koan under suspension with immediate effect”.
“It is further ordered that during the period for which this order shall remain in force, the headquarters of Dr Koan shall be Goa and he shall not leave the headquarters without obtaining prior permission of the Competent Authority. It is also ordered that during the period of his suspension he would be entitled to a subsistence allowance at an amount equal to the leave salary…in addition, dearness allowance, if admissible on the basis of such leave salary, under 4(1)(a) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, subject to furnishing of a certificate that he has not been employed in any business, profession or vocation for a profit/ remuneration/ salary”, the order read.
Koan is a 2009- batch IPS officer of the AGMUT cadre and is posted in Goa. He was relieved of his charge as DIG on August 11 following the allegations.
Koan allegedly molested the woman who was partying, on Monday late at night.
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The Goa police had filed a report with the MHA alleging Koan’s misbehaviour and said that he was in an inebriated state at the time of the crime.
Vijai Sardesai, the president of Goa Forward Party, and Michael Lobo, the BJP MLA from Calangute, raised the issue in the state assembly, demanding action against the DIG rank officer.
Earlier, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said in the Assembly that “strict action will be taken” against the accused, and “we will not tolerate this”, reports The Indian Express.
“We relieved him of his duties, and he has been attached to the head office. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry. We have written to the Union Home Ministry, I think the Home Ministry will take action on that officer,” the CM said.
The MHA forwarded the inquiry report to President Murmu for departmental action.
