71 policemen from a single station in city transferred

Sending a strong message to undisciplined police personnel in Bengaluru, City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar, following the recommendations of Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) K Annamalai, ordered the transfer of 71 police personnel attached to the Kumaraswamy Layout police station.

The decision to shunt out such a large number of personnel from one station is said to be the first in the history of Bengaluru city police.

Barring an inspector and three sub-inspectors from the KS Layout police station, all other personnel — assistant sub-inspectors, head constables and police constables including seven women PCs — were transferred to different stations across the city. The personnel are waiting for relieving orders to report for duty at their new stations. “All transfers of 71 personnel will be made in a phased manner within a week,” Annamalai said.

Kumaraswamy Layout police station was in news four days ago after the suspension of ASI Renukaiah who assaulted two women who came to the station with a family dispute. One of them wanted to take away her daughter who had sought police protection. The daughter had eloped with her maternal uncle when she was a minor and now that they had come back, the mother wanted her back.

The assault was captured by a police constable identified as Abdul Rawat who later had a tiff with Renukaiah, sources said. To teach him a lesson, Rawat leaked an edited video which went viral and resulted in Renukaiah’s suspension.

ACP Subramanyapura sub-division conducted a detailed probe into the incident and found that Rawat, instead of doing sentry duty, was videographing. Rawat was suspended on Thursday.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, two days after Renukaiah’s suspension, the daughter filed an attempt-to-murder case against her mother at the same police station.

The ACP, while conducting a probe, also came across groupism in the station. The coteries were so strong that they picked quarrels with others over trivial matters as well as duty assignments.

Sources revealed that senior police officers identified seven ringmasters at the station as leaders of coteries. For every disciplinary action against them, they used to forward petitions against seniors (ACPs and DCP) to the police commissionerate. Hence, these men have been shunted out of south division.

DCP K Annamalai reviewed the ACP’s report and recommended transfer of all 71 police personnel at the station.

“If a few are transferred, they will consider it as a punishment, and they will be looked down upon where they report for duty. Hence, we decided to transfer all so that there will be a new environment and culture in the station,” said Annamalai.

Dies of cardiac arrest

A 57-year-old constable attached to KS Layout police station suffered a cardiac arrest and died at his hometown in Mudhol taluk in Bagalkot on Friday. Nadaf is said to have suffered a heart attack due to low blood pressure, but a section of media reported that he died of shock after hearing the news of his transfer. However, his colleagues haven’t bought this. Nadaf was on leave since January 22 for renovation of his house, a colleague said.