Gaurav Tiwari, IPS who was superintendent police, Katni district was transferred in the most arbitrary manner because he initiated action against some powerful persons well-connected politically who were involved in a major scam. Tiwari with a clean record has been eyesore for the BJP government. Because he has been effectively and promptly acting against persons with criminal record and did not spare even persons connected with the ruling party. He was not allowed even six months' time at one place of his posting.

As for his tenure in Katni, he was posted six months back only. He initiated action against some people who were involved in a scam of Rs. 500 crore. A team of Income Tax Department exposed the scam which was described as Havala. It was discovered that a fake account was opened in the Katni branch of Axis Bank during notebandi exercise. This account was opened in the name of the son of a home guard. Transactions to the tune of lakhs of rupees were done through this account. Later it was discovered that such fake accounts were also opened in various other banks including Andhra Bank UCO, IDBI, HDFC etc. The total amount involved in the fake transactions is reported to be more than Rs. 500 crore.

The police took cognisance of this scam and S.P. Gaurav Tiwari constituted a Special Investigating Team and served notices on some companies and ordered necessary enquiry. In the process a Munim of a company was taken in custody, Munim, Sandeep Burman, admitted his involvement in the transaction and told the investigating team that he did this fraud at the behest of certain powerful businessmen. He also named companies which were involved in these fraudulent deals. Because the companies involved in this scam have powerful political connection they brought pressure on the government to order transfer of SP Tiwari. It is alleged that Gaurav Tiwari's sudden transfer has been ordered under the pressure of Sanjay Pathak who represents Katni in the Vidhan Sabha and also happens to be member of the state ministry. He is a mining baron and can be compared with Reddy Brothers of Karnataka. Sanjay Pathak originally belonged to a traditional Congress family. His father was a Congress MLA and also served as a minister in a Congress ministry. Before the 2013 Vidhan Sabha elections, he represented Katni in the Vidhan Sabha as a Congress MLA.

But just before the elections, he left the Congress and fought election as a BJP candidate. Later he was included in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Ministry.

Tiwari's sudden transfer gave rise to massive protest. A girl student told the media that we want Tiwari back because after his posting, the girl students started feeling secure even in the darkness of night.

People in their thousands took to the streets in Katni on January 10 to protest the transfer of SP Gaurav Tiwari, alleging that the officer had been moved out as political bigwigs were likely to get trapped if he went ahead with his probe into the scam in the Katni branch of Axis Bank.

Around 500 auto drivers had taken out a protest rally on Monday night. On Tuesday, the businessmen, students and others gathered at the Subhash Chowk and raised slogans against the state government. Social media was crammed with messages hailing the SP and denouncing his transfer. Besides former MLA Saroj Nayak leaders and workers of Congress, and Loktantrik Samajwadi party also joined the protest. A newspaper reported that even a section of BJP workers also joined the protest.

Meanwhile, the Congress state president Arun Yadav has written a letter to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley alleging that the police officer was closing in on a top politician and that was why he was shunted out. He had requested the minister to institute an inquiry into the scam.

He said that the transfer had exposed the BJP government's claim of having zero tolerance for corruption. There are reports that people's anger has already spread in other towns of the district.

When asked whether such a massive protest took place over the transfer of an officer Mrs. Nirmala Buch, former chief secretary who also served as Home secretary said not in my memory. Similar was the reaction of Dr. R.L.S. Yadav who served as the Chhatisgarh Director General of Police. The BJP however defended the transfer and described it as a routine matter. State BJP president Nand Kumar Chauhan when asked why Tiwari has been transfer red even before completing six months as Katni SP said that transfer was government's prerogative. If it likes it can order transfer even if an officer has not completed four months.

If we look at the record of the present government it has ordered many transfers under political pressure. Some months back a RSS pracharak was booked in connection with an offence in Balaghat district. The RSS leaders lodged loud protest alleging that the RSS leader was beaten in the police custody. The government under the pressure ordered the transfer of several police officers including the Inspector General of Police and also suspended some of them. The RSS not satisfied with this action, also demanded arrests of some police officials. Similar transfer has been ordered in several other cases including from Jhabua district. (IPA Service)