The highest-ranking woman police officer of Indian origin in London’s Scotland Yard is facing a prospect of dismissal from service after she was served with a ‘gross misconduct’ notice and placed on restricted duties.
Temporary Chief Superintendent Parm Sandhu, who had recently tweeted announcing that she ‘will be promoted to Chief Superintendent and she will be the first woman of colour to hold the rank, is accused of encouraging her colleagues to support her nomination for a Queen’s Police Medal.
A Scotland Yard spokesperson was quoted as saying, “The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards is investigating the conduct of three officers following an allegation that they breached guidelines relating to the UK honours nomination process.”
According to National Police Chiefs’ Council guidelines, any officer can nominate any other person for an honour but they are not expected to nominate themselves and ‘meant to contribute to or know about the process.’
The applications for Queen’s honours go to the Home Office (Home Ministry) for consideration before they are forwarded to the honours committee, along with recommendations for knighthoods, MBEs and other awards.
A report by BBC said that internal Met investigation against Sandhu and two other officers is examining an allegation that the highest ranking woman police officer of Indian origin may have contacted other officers with a summary of information to support her QPM nomination.
The allegations, if proven, could lead to her dismissal from service.
Queen’s Police Medals, started in 1954, are given twice a year in the Queen’s Birthday and New Year Lists. As many as 18 officers were awarded the QPM as part of the Queen’s New Year Lists, while other 18 were awarded to officers in the birthday list in June last month.
Last year, Sandhu was accused of breaching force rules as she was revealed as a director of private police training company in Abu Dhabi. Sandhu, then a borough commander of Richmond Upon Thames was believed to be a co-director of Rod Jarman Associates, which ‘provides advice, training and development to all aspects of policing and community safety. The company’s website had also stated that it provided training to the Abu Dhabi Police Force, raising allegations of conflict of interest against her.
