President reinstates suspended IPS officer Koan, MHA transfers him to Andaman

New Delhi: In a significant development, Dr A. Koan, an IPS officer of the 2009 batch of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories), who was suspended last year for alleged misbehaviour with a woman tourist at a beach club in Goa, has been reinstated and transferred to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

According to sources, Dr Koan was reinstated in his post by President Droupadi Murmu and subsequently transferred from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Home Ministry issued two separate orders on Thursday. One of the orders reads: “The President, after examining the facts and current circumstances of the case, has concluded that the continued suspension of Dr. A. Koan, IPS (AGMUT: 2009), is no longer in the public interest and his suspension can therefore be lifted.”

It mentioned that the President had exercised his powers under Rule 3 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969 and lifted the suspension of Koan with “immediate effect” and “reinstated him in service”.

The second order by Under Secretary in the Home Ministry Rakesh Kumar Singh further states: “With the approval of the competent authority, Koan will be shifted from Goa to Andaman and Nicobar Islands with immediate effect and until further orders.”

Officials, however, said that the investigation against the IPS officer is still ongoing. Koan was suspended by President Murmu on August 16, 2023, after the Goa Police submitted a report to the Home Ministry accusing him of misbehaving with a woman tourist while in an intoxicated state at a beach club in North Goa.

Following the incident, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told Parliament that strict action would be taken against Koan and such behaviour would not be tolerated. The Ministry of Home Affairs suspended Koan in an order dated August 16, 2023, as disciplinary action was being considered against him under Rule 3 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.

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