BENGALURU: In the backdrop of the political slugfest over alleged attempts to topple the JD(S)-Congress coalition government allegedly by the BJP using “mafia” money, the government on Saturday evening effected transfers of 20 IPS officers, including top-ranking officers in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the Karnataka Lokayukta and State Intelligence Department. Eome changes have been made even in the Bengaluru City Police.
The move raised many a eyebrow as it came just a day after Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy accused the opposition BJP of making attempts to topple his government by mobilising funds from people involved in illegal activities. The CM had even stated that he has all the details, including advances being paid to MLAs, and he will do everything required to counter the saffron party’s attempts. He had just stopped short of naming those people.
The BJP, however, rubbished the charges and dared the CM to prove his allegations or resign. Sources in the know of the developments told The New Indian Express that the CM had made those statements based on inputs received from the Intelligence Department and officials will be directed to gather information and act against those making money from unlawful means to support those attempting to topple the government.
Lokayukta police and the ACB officials may even be directed to look into pending cases against such people, sources said. According to them, another round of major reshuffle is likely soon.Top officials in the police department, however, do not see a direct link between Saturday’s transfers and current political developments in the state. Interestingly, the officers holding key posts in ACB, Lokayukta and Intelligence Department have now been posted to non-executive positions.
Alok Mohan, ADGP, ACB has been posted as ADGP (Railways), while Sanjay Sahay, ADGP Lokayukta, has been moved to the Police Computer Wing, and Sandeep Patil, DIG (Intelligence) has been posted as Joint Commissioner, City Armed Reserve (CAR), Bengaluru.Dr Alikana S Murthy, ADGP (Forest Cell) has been posted as ADGP Lokayukta, while the government is yet to post an ADGP to ACB. S Girish, SP, ACB, has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Bengaluru city, and Dr Ram Niwas Sepat has been posted to ACB as SP.
Sources said while making changes in the police wing of the Lokayukta, the government has consulted the Lokayukta. Alok Kumar, IGP (Northern Range), Belagavi, has been transferred and posted as Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Bengaluru city. The officer had worked with the city police earlier.
N Satheesh Kumar, a DIG-rank officer and Joint Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru city, has been posted as DIG, Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), Bengaluru. ADGP Dr P Ravindranath has been posted as ADGP (Forest Cell), while another ADGP-rank officer P S Sandhu, who was waiting for posting, has been posted as ADGP and Commissioner of Traffic and Road Safety, Bengaluru.
City’s police force gets new faces
Bengaluru: Saturday’s reshuffle of police forces by the state government will see five Indian Police Service (IPS) officers taking up posts in the city. Among them are P S Sandhu, an ADGP-rank police officer who will take charge as Additional Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety; Sanjay Sahay, an ADGP who will now head the Police Computer Wing; Alok Kumar, IGP who has now been posted as Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), while SP S Girish has been posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime). Sandeep Patil, previously DIG (Intelligence), has been posted to the City Armed Reserve (CAR). P S Harsha, who was waiting for a posting, has been deputed as DIG (Prisons) and Ida Martin Marbaniang, an SP, has been posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) West.