New Delhi, September 16, 2026: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has revoked the approximately three-month-old suspension of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Bidhan Chandra Patra with immediate effect. The officer may resume duty from September 16. The departmental inquiry against him will continue.
A September 15 order issued by the Directorate General, CRPF, states that the President, exercising powers under clause (c) of sub-rule (5) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, approved the revocation. The Ministry of Home Affairs had conveyed the decision to the force on August 27 after considering the merits of the case. The CRPF headquarters issued the formal order nearly three weeks later.
The order provides that the period of suspension, effective from June 18, 2026, until revocation, will be regularised in accordance with applicable rules after the pending inquiry is finalised. It directs that the order be served on the officer and that a dated, attested acknowledgement be returned to the Directorate.
Patra, a 1994-batch CRPF cadre officer (IRLA 40618), was posted at the Tripura Sector headquarters in Agartala at the time of the action. He had returned to the CRPF in April 2026 after completing a deputation with the National Security Guard. Officials have described him as a highly decorated officer with awards for operations in Jammu and Kashmir and other difficult terrains.
He was placed under suspension on June 17, 2026, under Sub-Rule (1) of Rule 10 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965, pending a preliminary enquiry. The charges related to alleged sharing of audio-visual and pictorial content on social media platforms that, according to officials, called for “changing” the country’s lawfully elected government during the passage of the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026. The Bill received Presidential assent in April and became law.
An Inspector General-rank officer was directed to examine internal communications and digital logs to which Patra had access over the previous 12 months, including encrypted channels such as WhatsApp. The inquiry was also tasked with assessing whether any violation of the Official Secrets Act had occurred and the extent of any potential information leakage.
The suspension drew criticism from associations of retired Central Armed Police Forces officers. They alleged that the action was linked to protests by family members against the CAPF legislation and to the officer’s sharing of related videos, and that it was hasty and unjustified. Some officers described him as a prominent petitioner in litigation by CAPF cadre officers seeking promotion and service parity with Indian Police Service officers. The broader dispute over IPS deputation to senior CAPF posts, cadre review, and career progression remains before the courts, including a contempt petition in the Supreme Court.
Revocation of the suspension does not conclude the disciplinary process. Officials familiar with the matter have confirmed that the departmental enquiry will continue. The CRPF has not issued a detailed public comment beyond the order itself.
