BENGALURU: Friday evening was a historic one for the Bengaluru City Police commissionerate in more ways than one, breaking away from long-standing traditions, considered so important for those in uniform.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and former Police Commissioner Alok Kumar has now earned the ignominious tag of having the shortest tenure at the helm of the city police, with just 47 days passing since he took charge. He was replaced with his senior and ADGP Bhaskar Rao on Friday evening.
The handover, usually a scripted and formal affair, went awry when Rao had to take charge in the absence of his predecessor. The customary handshake between the two officers and the ceremonial transfer of the baton was conspicuously absent. Kumar subsequently signed the certificate of transfer of charge (CTC) at 9 am on Saturday.
Speaking to The New Sunday Express, a visibly upset Kumar said, “Where was the hurry to take charge?,” questioned a visibly upset Kumar. “The transfer order had come around 5.30pm, which is after office hours. I left office at 5.45 pm and I was at my official residence. It was not locked,” Kumar told The New Sunday Express.
He said that the transfer had caused him and his family a lot of mental agony. “I was not even informed about my transfer though I was in touch with the concerned officers on Friday. The order was issued after office hours for obvious reasons,” said Kumar. “We have been living in the official residence for barely 20 days. It is unfair to my family. It is pure torture.”
However, he declined to comment on whether he would appeal before the Central Administrative Tribunal. The amended Karnataka Police Act provides a minimum 1-year tenure to officers. Narrating his side of the sequence of events, Kumar said, “Within 20 minutes Rao’s movement orders had come and he was at the office to take over charge. When I was appointed as the Commissioner my movement order had come in 20 hours,” he pointed out. Kumar was posted as Commissioner in a midnight order on June 17 by former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
Rao said, “Soon after I received my movement orders I came to the Commissioner’s office to take charge from my predecessor and waited for him. When he didn’t turn up even after sometime, I was left with no option but to sign the CTC in his absence. It has never happened before to an incoming commissioner of police.”