Basant Rath is a social activist and a retired police officer of the 2000 batch of the Indian Police Service (IPS) of AGMUT cadre. He often made headlines for his altercations with senior IPS officer Dilbagh Singh. He was thrust into the spotlight again in August 2023 when he was voluntarily retired by the federal government after a two-year suspension.
Wiki/Biography
Basant Kumar Rath was born on Saturday, June 17, 1972, in Uttarsahi village, Puri district, Odisha, India (age 51; as of 2023). His zodiac sign is Gemini. Rath completed his education in Odisha and then went to Bhubaneswar to complete his degree in psychology from Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar (BJB) Autonomous College. Thereafter, he moved to New Delhi where he enrolled at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to pursue a master’s degree in sociology. Lars said in an interview that he was born into a very poor family and did not have enough money to support his family. He said of this matter:
I come from a village and we were very poor. My mother often went hungry, pretending she was fasting for religious reasons. The first time I saw a library was when I was 16, also from the outside. “
After completing his formal education, Rath appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Examination and successfully passed it. Thereafter, he reported to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad, Telangana, where he underwent the police training module.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Weight (approximately): 65kg
Hair color: Bald
Eye color: dark brown
family and caste
He belonged to a Utkara Brahmin family in Orissa.
Parents and siblings
His father Hrushikesh Kumar Rath was a priest and farmer. His mother’s name was Ramanani Rath (deceased). He has an older brother.
wife and children
He is a divorcee.
address
He lives in house No. 29, cordon D, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.
Signature/Autograph
Basant Rath’s signature
Profession
Basant Kumar Rath completed the training of SVPNPA on September 4, 2000 and was posted as AGMUT cadre.
Photo taken after Basant Rath was appointed as IPS officer
In 2001, he was posted to Kashmir’s Poonch district as a trained IPS officer. In 2006, he was posted to Ramban, Jammu. Subsequently, he was promoted and held important positions in Srinagar and other places. In July 2017, he was posted to Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban ranges as Deputy Inspector General (DIG).
Photo taken by Basant Rath while serving as DIG of Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban range
In February 2018, he was promoted to the rank of Inspector General of Police (IGP) and was posted to Srinagar Traffic Police Department. As Inspector General of Police (IGP), Rath was both praised and criticized for his actions.
Photo taken when Basant Rath was IGP
This opposition stemmed primarily from senior police officers and government officials due to his unorthodox approach as a law enforcement officer. Lars often works alongside traffic police on the streets, issuing traffic violation tickets to those who break the rules. His use of social media has also been condemned by authorities due to its informal nature. Rath, on the other hand, has won the admiration of Srinagar residents for his willingness to exact punishment on government employees, including the army and police. He is also recognized for implementing policies to improve traffic control within the city, especially near Lal Chowk.
Basant Rath issues traffic ticket to Indian Army vehicle
In November 2018, Russ was assigned to the National Guard and Civil Defense. According to multiple sources, he was expelled by the government after a dispute with the then Srinagar mayor. Rath was suspended in July 2020 over alleged misconduct and misconduct. On July 31, 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended his suspension by six months. In August 2023, following an official notification from the President of India, Rutter was taken into early retirement by the government. This retirement deprived him of Voluntary Retirement Service (VRS) benefits and received only three months’ salary and allowances provided in advance.
A snippet of the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the retirement of Basant Rath
dispute
Controversial career
In August 2017, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) wrote to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti asking her to take disciplinary action against Basant Rath for violating All India Service Rules . According to sources, Rath came under the intelligence agency’s radar after writing 12 articles, including two for The Indian Express and ten for The Wire. The articles were deemed inflammatory by the IB as they were “dangerously critical of government policy” and “a blatant breach of the IPS Service Rules of Conduct”.
Letter from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to J&K Government
After Dilbag Singh was appointed as the Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief in 2018, Rath and Singh had several confrontations. In June 2020, after Basant Rath was suspended, he lodged a complaint with the Gandhi Nagar police station in Jammu fearing for Singh’s “life”.
Photo of complaint letter sent by Basant Rath to Gandhi Nagar police station
Following this, Basant posted a tweet accusing Dilbag of wrongly acquiring 50 kanals (6 acres) of land in Salol, Jammu. Dilbarger responded to his accusations by asking Rath to produce evidence to back up his claims. The tweet read,
Hi Dilbag Singh. Can I call you Dilu? Are you someone who owns 50 kanals (six acres) of land near Tharoor Dental College? “
After his suspension, Rath authored numerous articles against senior government officials, including Deputy Attorney General Singh, so Singh and five others filed suit in court and successfully obtained a restraining order against Basant, banning him. Six people wrote anything against him. On June 25, 2023, Basant Rath uploaded a photo of his resignation letter on Twitter, which he reportedly sent to the government; however, the government denied receiving any letter from him. Rath wrote in the letter that he hoped to resign from his position and participate in electoral politics.
Resignation letter uploaded by Basant Rath on his Twitter account
In August 2023, Rath took to Twitter to claim that DGP Dilbagh Singh removed his security detail with the intention of harming Rath after the home ministry declared him unfit for work and suspended him. He also wrote an email to the police saying that if anything happened to him, Dilbag Singh should be held responsible.
Snippet of email sent by Basant Rath to Jammu and Kashmir Police
salary
As Inspector General of Police (IGP), Basant Rath’s salary is Rs. 1,44,200 + other allowances.
Facts/Trivia
- He earned the title of J&K Singham in his hometown for his duties as IGP Traffic.
- After his suspension, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt expressed his desire to make a Bollywood film based on Basant Rath’s life.
- In August 2023, after being retired early by the Indian government, Rutter applied to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, his application to join the BJP was rejected due to his record as an IPS officer. Speaking on the matter, a senior BJP leader said,
Anyone can join the BJP using online facilities. It is the party leadership that ultimately decides whether an individual joins the party or assumes responsibilities within the party. The BJP will not tolerate indiscipline. He (Rath) was taken into early retirement due to disciplinary infractions. “
Screenshot of Basant Rath’s application to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) uploaded on Twitter
- In his spare time, he likes to write poetry.
- One of his favorite lines is “My mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know…”
- His favorite color is black.
- In an interview, he revealed that while he was studying at BJB Autonomous College, he had a one-sided relationship with a girl.
- His autobiography, Son of a Brahmin, will be published in 2024.
Cover of “Sons of Brahman”
- In March 2023, the J&K government granted residence to Rath.
Jammu and Kashmir domicile certificate of Basant Kumar Rath
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education