Uttar Pradesh: The cop who had been suspended for keeping a beard despite warnings from his senior was reinstated after he shaved it off, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Singh on Saturday.
The cop, Intezar Ali, a Sub-Inspector rank officer posted at Ramala police station had been suspended for lack of discipline on October 20.
Earlier, SP Baghpat Abhishek Singh said that as per the police manual only Sikhs are allowed to keep a beard while all other policemen have to remain clean-shaven.
“If any police personnel want to keep a beard, he has to seek permission for the same. Intesar Ali was repeatedly asked to seek permission but he did not comply and kept the beard without permission,” the SP said.
He had earlier been asked thrice by the SP, Baghpat to shave off his beard but to no avail. The matter had been widely reported and had been highly debated in the past few days.
The sub-inspector, Intezar Ali earlier, told reporters that he had applied permission to keep a beard but got no response.
“In Baghpat district a sub-Inspector of police, Intezar Ali, had been suspended because he had kept a beard without permission. Today he forwarded an application to me stating that he has cut his beard as per police manual. Therefore, orders for his reinstatement were issued and he has rejoined duty,” Singh told reporters here.