In UP, sub-inspector is suspended over beard

A Sub-Inspector (S-I) posted at a police station in Baghpat has been suspended for “keeping a beard without permission from the authorities concerned,” a senior officer said. An inquiry has also been initiated against Intesar Ali for allegedly “not paying heed to notices served thrice for flouting the state police uniform norms,” the officer added.

Ali has been serving in Baghpat for the past three years and was at present posted at Ramala police station. “My requests for keeping a beard are pending in the offices of the SP and the IG (Meerut zone) for the past one year but no decision has been taken yet. I am hopeful of getting a positive response in this regard soon,” Ali told The Indian Express on Thursday.

Baghpat SP Abhishek Singh said, “Ali was served a show-cause notice for flouting the state police uniform norms earlier too, but he did not deem it fit to follow the rules. His actions (of flouting norms) come within the purview of indiscipline, which cannot be tolerated in the forces. I have also ordered an inquiry in this connection,” said Singh.

As per the Act and Rules of the Uttar Pradesh Police manual, barring Sikhs, no one is allowed to keep a beard without permission from senior officers.