Akhilesh Yadav Targets UP Government Over Cop's Rs 20 Lakh Bribe Video

After an old video of an IPS officer demanding money from a businessman did rounds on social media on Sunday, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav attacked the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh asking it whether it will take "bulldozer" action against him.

Since Mr Yadav's tweet, a probe has been ordered against the officer who is posted in Varanasi, and the Commissioner there has been asked to submit his report in the matter.

A video of IPS officer Anirudh Singh showed up on media on Sunday in which he was seen asking someone on a video call to arrange for Rs 20 lakh.

The purported video has been stated to be of the time when Mr Singh was posted in Meerut district.

"After this video of an IPS demanding money in UP, will the direction of bulldozers change towards him or will the BJP government get rid of the matter by adding one more name to the list of absconding IPS? The people of UP are seeing the reality of BJP's zero-tolerance towards crime," SP President said on Twitter, posting a 10-second portion of the video.

Meerut Police in its reply on Twitter said, "This video is over 2 years old and does not have any connection with Meerut. Probe has been completed in the matter." Later the state Director General of Police issued a statement saying police are probing the contents of the video, which is more than two years old.

"A video of Shri Anirudh Singh, IPS officer appointed as SP Rural in district Meerut, is going viral in which he is seen conversing with a person through video call. On the basis of the said video, allegations of corruption are being levelled against Singh," an official release issued by the DGP said.

"The said case is 2 years old, but in view of the seriousness of the case, the Police Headquarters has inquired about it from the Commissioner Varanasi, current posting of the officer and sought a report within 3 days," it said.

Another probe has been against Singh's wife, who too is an IPS officer, over allegations made in a tweet against her of not paying rent to her landlord.

Aarti Singh, posted as DCP Varuna Zone Commissionerate, Varanasi has been accused of not paying rent for her flat, the DGP office said.

"Aarti Singh is the wife of the Anirudh Singh. We have come to know that Aarti Singh has paid her rent and there is no outstanding balance, but the Police Headquarters has asked Commissioner Varanasi to probe the matter and give his report within 3 days," it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)