CRPF suspends DIG over 'anti-government' social media posts on CAPF Act

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 24, 2026 19:28 IST

The CRPF has suspended a senior DIG-rank officer for allegedly sharing content against the government on social media during the passage of the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill 2026, officials said. The bill, which has now become an Act after receiving presidential assent in April, had been opposed by cadre officers of the Central Armed Police Forces, who called it discriminatory.

This is the first such case among about 15,000 cadre officers who hold leadership roles in the country’s 10-lakh-strong CAPFs. Officials identified the officer as Deputy Inspector General B C Patra, who is posted at the CRPF’s Tripura Sector headquarters in Agartala.

Patra, a 1994-batch CRPF cadre officer, returned to the force in April after completing a deputation posting with the NSG. Officials said he was suspended a few days ago under Sub-Rule (1) of Rule 10 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965, pending a preliminary enquiry.

According to officials, the charges relate to sharing audio-visual and pictorial content on social media platforms that allegedly called for “changing” the country’s lawfully elected government during the passage of the CAPF Bill.

CRPF Director General G P Singh confirmed the development to PTI. “All serving and uniformed officers of the CRPF are bound by the rules and statutes and the oath taken. Any word(s)- written or spoken or action contravening the same would be dealt appropriately in consonance with the law of the land,” he said.

Patra could not be contacted for comment. However, officers familiar with the case said the action against him was “mala fide” and “unjustified”. They said he was being targeted because he was the lead petitioner among CAPF cadre officers who fought cases related to promotions and service parity with the IPS up to the Supreme Court.

“The DIG is being unfairly treated and punished by the CRPF headquarters because he led the legal battle for the rightful claims of the cadre officers on par with the Indian Police Service (IPS) officers who join the CAPFs on deputation,” a senior officer said on condition of anonymity. He also claimed that about two dozen other officers of the force who prominently fought court cases were recently given “hasty” posting orders.

An association of former CAPF officers has called a press conference on July 2 against what it described as the “hasty and illegal” suspension of the DIG, and against the targeting of CAPF personnel whose families protested against the CAPF Bill at Rajghat in April. “DIG Patra is an outstanding officer who has been commended with multiple awards,” Ranbir Singh, general secretary of the Alliance of All Ex Paramilitary Forces Welfare Association, said.

In representations sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, serving cadre officers said the Bill’s provisions were “oppressive” and “discriminatory”, and argued that they would continue to stagnate in their present ranks if IPS deputations were not curtailed, as directed by the Supreme Court in an order issued last year. The Centre had filed an appeal against that order, but the apex court rejected it.

The government has said the law seeks to create a unified legal framework for service conditions across the CAPFs, replacing the existing separate service rule systems for cadre officers and officers on deputation from the IPS. MHA officers have also said that the deputation of IPS officers in CAPFs is a “valid requirement” because they are an all-India service and also play a supervisory role in state police organisations. The suspension of Patra has now added to the wider dispute over service conditions and deputation in the CAPFs.

- Ends