HOME DEPARTMENT STARTS PROCESS TO RECOVER 4 LAKH FROM FORMER IGP K. D. SINGH

PANJIM: The home department is in the process of recovering over 4 lakh from former state inspector general of police (IGP) K D Singh. The money was spent by the government to fix Singh's official car, which his son Siddharth had driven and crashed in an accident on December 4, 2009.

"We have decided to recover the amount spent on repairing the car from the former IGP and have intimated the police about the same. Once the police decide how the money needs to be recovered, we will issue the order to Singh," said chief secretary Sanjay Srivastava.

The accident had cost the state 4,33,199.54. Soon after the accident, Singh had agreed to pay for the repairs and the home department had agreed, but it was reversed by the then director general of police (DGP) and the home minister. The file of the home department put out in January 2010 states, "Although, it is not his fault, he (IGP K D Singh) takes responsibility for the mishap on behalf of his son. The government vehicle is to be repaired. K D Singh has sought to know whether the vehicle can be repaired by the government. He will accept whatever the government decides."

Sources said that the home department took the decision after sending several reminders to the Goa police asking them to explain how the car was in the possession of the IGP's son, when it was actually supposed to be in the custody of the official driver. However, almost one-and-a-half years later, the police have failed to respond, forcing the home department to observe that "proper disciplinary action against the defaulters and recovery may be required. The Goa police are not coming clean on this aspect. Accountability has to be fixed and consequential action needs to be taken".