Lucknow, Jun 28 (IANS): A senior police officer in Uttar Pradesh was transferred after a cabinet minister was booked in a dacoity and arson case.
Sambhal Superintendent of Police Piyush Srivastava was transferred late Friday, apparently for his role in booking Fisheries Minister Iqbal Mehmood in the case.
Masood was accused by lawyer Nutan Vijay of threatening him and barging into his house with 15 accomplices and looting valuables.
Police Friday, without initiating a probe into the dacoity and arson case, gave a clean chit to the minister.
While the home department refused to comment on the transfer, insiders said the officer earned the government's ire after the case was slapped on the minister.
"Officers should not jump the gun and instead take a line in sync with the law," a Samajwadi party leader said, supporting the transfer.
Srivastava has not been given a fresh posting and instead attached to the office of the director general of police in Lucknow.
The state government, surprisingly, appointed Rakesh Singh, who was recently suspended as Firozabad police superintendent, as the new Sambhal police chief.