Not Joined Any Political Party: Bihar DGP Pandey After Taking VRS

On Tuesday, Gupta took voluntary retirement from his services, five months before his retirement.

Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey

(Image: Facebook)

Bihar Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey, who has taken voluntary retirement from his services, on Wednesday, 23 September, said that he had not joined any political party and that he had not taken any decision either.

On Tuesday, 22 September, Gupta took voluntary retirement from his services, five months before his retirement.

“I have not joined any political party as of now and I have not taken any decision on it yet. As far as social work is concerned, I can do it without entering politics, too,” Pandey said in a media briefing on Wednesday, according to news agency ANI.

Gupteshwar was made DGP of Bihar on 31 January 2019, and his term was supposed to end on 28 February 2021.

Pandey applied for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) on Tuesday, which has since been accepted by the governor. The decision comes just ahead of the looming Bihar assembly polls.

Home Guard DGP SK Singhal has been appointed as the new DGP.

Pandey confirmed the news of his VRS on his Twitter handle, sharing a poster on his account which read, “My story, my words..I will come live on 23 September at 6 pm on my social media account.”

Pandey tweeted the below poster along with his message.

(Photo: Twitter)

Reports Claim Pandey Could Contest Elections

Earlier, there were speculations that Pandey may have resigned from his duty to contest in Bihar polls.

When DGP Pandey, who arrived in Bihar’s Kaimur on Sunday, was asked if he wanted to enter politics, he asked, “Is it a sin to come to politics after retirement?”

It is believed that Pandey could be a candidate from Buxar or Bhojpur in the coming assembly elections, and he might contest on JDU's ticket.

Before the 2009 Lok Sabha elections too, Pandey had applied for VRS. At that time, elections were considered to be the reason behind his decision, though he withdrew his application after he failed to get a ticket from Buxar.

Pandey had recently come into the limelight when he made statements in the Sushant Singh Rajput’s case. He said that actress Rhea Chakraborty does not have the 'aukat' to comment on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

(With inputs from Hindi Quint)