Lucknow

In a surprise move, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday evening removed state DGP Mukul Goel from his post. In an official statement, the government spokesman said that Goel had been removed for "ignoring his work, not taking interest in departmental work and dereliction of duty".

This is the first time that a DGP has been removed on such charges.

Goel has now been posted as DG Civil Security.

Appointed UP DGP in June last year, hed has been removed before he could complete a year in office.

According to sources, his removal is linked to the police failure to make "water-tight" cases against SP MLA Azam Khan, which led to the Supreme Court ticking off the state government.