Raipur, March 26: A senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in Chhattisgarh has been suspended after an internal investigation revealed preliminary evidence of misconduct and the misuse of his position, officials reported on Thursday.

Ratan Lal Dangi, a 2003-batch IPS officer and currently serving as Inspector General of Police (IGP), faced suspension following an inquiry initiated in October last year. The investigation was triggered by a complaint lodged by the wife of a fellow police officer, accusing Dangi of harassment. At the time of the allegations, Dangi was posted as the Director of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose State Police Academy in Chandrakhuri, near Raipur.

The complainant alleged mental, physical, and financial harassment and claimed she was under pressure, fearing her husband's imminent transfer. Efforts to contact the complainant for further comment were unsuccessful.

Dangi has firmly denied the accusations, asserting that he was the victim of blackmail. He claimed to have known the woman since 2019 through social media and mentioned she had been involved with his family. Dangi further alleged that the woman had extorted money from him and used the harassment allegations as a means of coercion.

According to the suspension order issued by the state's home department, the officer’s actions were deemed "unbecoming" of a senior official and indicative of an abuse of influence, which constitutes a prima facie breach of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968. The order also stated that the case had been widely circulated in the media, damaging the reputation of the police department.

During the period of suspension, Dangi will be attached to the police headquarters in Nava Raipur and will receive a subsistence allowance as per regulations. He has been instructed not to leave the headquarters without prior approval.

Further proceedings in the case will continue as per established procedures, officials added.