Surat: Just a little over a month before his scheduled retirement, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) B M Chaudhary has been dismissed from service. Chaudhary, who joined the police force in 1993, was accused of securing the position of sub-inspector using a fake Scheduled Tribe (ST) caste certificate.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 5), R P Barot, confirmed the news, stating that they had received the dismissal order for ACP Bapu Motiram Chaudhary from the state home department on May 20. Chaudhary, who was due to retire on June 30, has been relieved from duty with immediate effect after serving in multiple districts for over three decades.

Chaudhary could not be reached for comment, but his nephew Jitendra defended him, claiming the family genuinely belongs to the ST category. Jitendra argued that they hail from Kukarmunda in Tapi district and that their caste is classified as ST in Gujarat.

Chaudhary had been serving as ACP of the K Division in Surat for the past three years, overseeing the Pal, Adajan, and Rander police stations. After joining the police force as a sub-inspector in 1993, he rose through the ranks and became an ACP in 2019.

It is learnt that a family member filed a complaint about the alleged fraudulent caste certificate around two years ago, prompting an inquiry by the Social Welfare Department. Investigators visited his hometown, spoke to relatives, and reviewed official records before submitting a report to the Home Department, which led to the dismissal. —DeshGujarat