Tainted officer defies superiors

Bharatesh has been serving in Bangalore for the past 13 years, in gross violation of the Department of Personnel Rule that does not allow an officer to be posted in a location for more than three years. In all those years, he has been posted in the Excise Intelligence Bureau (EIB).

The position in the EIB warrants for utmost integrity and a single stain means a no entry into the EIB in future.

However, Bharatesh has continued in his post in Bangalore despite a Lokayukta inquiry last year revealing that he was collecting bribes from bar and liquor shop owners.

It took the Excise Department a whole year to take note of the Lokayukta inquiry against the tainted officer. Excise Commissioner Aravind Janu ordered Bharatesh’s transfer to Puttur on September 30, this year. Bharatesh has remained defiant. He has neither applied for leave nor has reported in Puttur.

When contacted, Commissioner Aravind Janu said a show  cause notice would be issued to Bharatesh and then a departmental inquiry would be initiated. "We are marking him absent for duty. He has neither applied for leave nor has reported in Puttur. We are issuing a show-cause notice and are also ordering a departmental enquiry," Janu said.