Praveen Sood’s stint as city police commissioner ended with a surprise transfer on Monday. He had taken charge just seven months ago.
The government has posted T Suneel Kumar, additional director-general of police, in his place.
Sood is now additional director-general of police, communication, logistics and modernisation. He is due for promotion in October.
His stint is perhaps the shortest for any city police commissioner in the recent past.
Earlier, M D Singh had served less than seven months in the post in 2002-2003. But he had been moved out following his promotion as director-general of police, a senior officer recalled.
Sood said the government had taken an administrative decision, and he was leaving the position with “a sense of fulfilment.”
Speculation was rife that the sudden transfer was linked to his handling of the protests against Hindi signage on the Metro. After Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists blackened Hindi signboards, the city police had slapped 36 cases against them. For the first time, a source said, police had invoked non-bailable sections.
While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to Narendra Singh Tomar, Union minister for urban affairs, not to force Hindi on Karnataka, the city police had registered non-bailable cases against activists fighting for the cause, the source said.
Another rumour was that the government was keen to usher in changes in the police department ahead of next year’s Assembly elections. A source in the home department said more transfers of IPS officers were imminent ahead of the elections.
Read also: Police warns Kannada activists
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks