Kathmandu, April 13

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a circular to Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, directing them to recall within seven days all police personnel deputed for purposes other than security.

A source at the MoHA said the circular was issued to the security agencies after the line ministry received a number of complaints over the misuse of cops as orderlies, house helps and personal security officers even by some ‘incumbent or former high-level officials’, who have not been facing security threats from any group.

Hundreds of police personnel, mainly constables and head constables, are said to be working as domestic helps of incumbent police officials ranging from SP to AIG. “In addition to those who are engaged in non-policing jobs in the house of incumbent high-level police officials, Nepal Police and APF have been asked to recall as many as 315 cops deputed as security guards or PSOs of former DIGs, AIGs and IGPs. Misuse of police personnel by seniors is an infraction of the code of conduct,” the source informed.

Though former high-level officials request for police personnel under the pretext of security threat, most

of them are used as cooks, drivers, attendants and for other private purposes. If any former official face security threat, he/she may be entitled to cops as security guards through the concerned district administration officer.

“Nepal Police and APF have also been directed to recall 45 persons from among the cops deputed for security of incumbent and former VIPs as the existing number of police personnel deployed was found to be higher than needed,” he said. No law has authorised the use of cops for non-policing purposes.

As many as 42 personnel from Nepal Police have already been recalled by the concerned agency after getting hint from the line ministry about this move.

“No one will be allowed to use police for non-policing jobs as part of the 82-point action plan recently made public by Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa. We have information that some political leaders and former home secretaries have also engaged cops as their domestic helps,” the source informed.