You can't call this top cop a plainclothes policeman -- not after he appeared on television in a canary-yellow dress, sporting dark red lipstick, matching nail polish and a nose ring.
State officials ordered a probe into the behavior of Devendra Kumar Panda, an inspector general in the Uttar Pradesh state police, which could cost him his job, officials said on Tuesday.
Panda, 57, who believes himself to be the reincarnation of a lady consort of the Hindu amorous god Krishna, claims he is merely exercising his freedom of religion. But his wife, who is suing him, says he is no woman at heart -- just a womanizer.
PHOTO: AP
"He is normal at home or when he is chatting on the Internet. He behaves [this way] to get into the company of other women, whom he calls friends," his wife, Veena, said on Tuesday.
Panda's cross-dressing came to his superiors' attention after he appeared in court on Saturday in full drag and gave interviews to several local TV channels.
"[The] government has initiated a probe into Panda's behavior," said Uttar Pradesh Home Secretary Alok Sinha. "It is a real embarrassment for [the] police force if its senior officer behaves in such a manner," Sinha said.
Sinha said if the investigation found Panda guilty of behavior unbecoming for an officer he could lose his job.
Panda said he is only following his faith.
He said he has been dressing as a woman for the last 10 years since the god Krishna -- described in mythology as a flirtatious young man -- appeared to him in a vision and informed him he was the reincarnation of one of Krishna's consorts, Radha.
"I am just obeying the orders of Lord Krishna," Panda said. "He has asked me to dress up like this. I am doing whatever he has asked me to do," Panda, who now calls himself Doosri Radha, or Second Radha, said.
Uttar Pradesh police chief Yashpal Singh said he had known of Panda's fashion preferences for a while, but that his TV appearance was the final straw.
"After he danced his way through TV channels on Saturday dressed up as a woman and gave interviews in which he addressed himself in feminine gender, we cannot ignore the issue any longer," Singh said.
"The police force has become the butt of jokes because of this," he said.
On Saturday a local court ordered Panda to pay his wife 7,000 rupees (US$155) a month in support after he ordered her to move out of their home.
"This man has turned my life into a hell," said Veena, claiming that his behavior has caused her to be ostracized by family and friends.
"I am left alone," she sobbed.
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