An Uttar Pradesh police sub-inspector (SI) named Intesar Ali was reportedly suspended after he grew a beard without seeking permission from the department. Ali was warned many times to either shave the beard or seek the requisite permission. Ali did not take permission and continued to keep the beard.
According to SP Baghpat Abhishek Singh, police personnel are allowed to keep a beard but, except Sikhs, they need to take the required permission. He told that Ali was asked to take permission twice but he did not comply. Ali was consequently suspended for violating the rules of the department.
“If any police personnel want to keep a beard, he has to seek permission for the same. Intesar Ali was repeatedly asked to seek permission but he did not comply and kept the beard without permission,” the SP said.
Read- Why Muslims are not allowed to keep long beard in the armed forces
Although beards are not allowed without permission for cops in UP police, there is an incentive for growing moustaches. Personnel of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) are paid Rs 250 per month for maintaining moustaches, which was raised from Rs 50 per month earlier in 2019.
Ali says he sought the permission
SI Ali is a resident of Saharanpur. He had joined the Uttar Pradesh police as Sub Inspector and was posted in the Baghpat district for three years. He was posted in Ramala police station before the lockdown. Ali has claimed that he had been seeking the permission to keep beard since 2019 but the department did not grant him permission till date.
