DELTA Police Inspector Varun Naidu retired following allegations that he used his position to make sexual advances on at least one young potential recruit, CTV revealed on Tuesday.
It said Naidu has been found by the Saanich Police Department “to have committed four counts of misconduct under B.C.’s Police Act: two counts of discreditable conduct for inappropriate behaviour, one for allegedly misleading investigators, and one for neglect of duty that has to do with the use of a police department phone.”
Last September, CTV broke the news that Naidu had reportedly been suspended while the Saanich Police Department investigated his conduct in relation to interactions through digital messages and in person with women interested in policing.
Back in 2014, when Naidu was a staff-sergeant, he was among those officers who were honoured at the annual Delta Police Awards Night. He received the Deputy Chief Commendations for the famous Project Gateway (drug investigation) that included 17 police officers of various police departments and two Crown Counsel. He also received a 20 Year Exemplary Service Medal.
CTV reported on Tuesday that the Saanich investigation recommended dismissal as the punishment in mid-June, but Naidu left the police force about two weeks before that.
However, Deputy Police Complaint Commissioner Andrea Spindler told CTV that that didn’t mean Naidu has escaped punishment because his service record will still be updated to include the discipline.