'riot' of colours: decision to change home guards’ cap hue invites government ire in madhya pradesh

BHOPAL: The police department has lodged a complaint against former director general of home guards Mahan Bharat Sagar (now retired) with Lokayukta police here. The DG of home guards Pawan

Jain visited Lokayukta office here on Tuesday in this connection. According to information, Mahan Bharat had ordered to change colour of caps of home guards from khaki to blue without taking

permission from the government. A police office wishing anonymity told Free Press that DG Pawan Jain recorded his statement in Lokayukta office. When contacted, DG Pawan Jain told Free

Press that he went to meet Lokayukta on various issues. The Lokayukta raised queries. He said he submitted the documents. Earlier, the uniform of police and home guards were same and the

latter could be identifies through their badges. But after their caps’ colour changed to blue, home guards were easily identified. When the decision was taken, 12,000 khaki colour caps were

in stock. The complaint stated that Sagar’s decision caused loss to government exchequer. After that, two DGs were changed while the inquiry against Mahan Bharat continued. Mahan Bharat’s

decision to change colour of caps followed an incident. A home guard jawan was seen taking money from an autorickshaw driver while some of them were found drunk on roads. Taking action,

Bharat issued orders to change colour of the cap so that people can easily differentiate between a policeman and a home guard. The problem started for Bharat when he got involved in

arguments with a senior official posted at DG, home guards, office. A complaint was made to Lokayukta about the decision as misuse of post, which was implemented in the state without taking

permission from state government. When contacted, Mahan Bharat told Free Press that he has been framed. “I had taken decision to change the colour of caps in my capacity as the DG of home

guards and according to power given in the manual. There is no violation of any norms and no loss to state coffer,” he added.