JOIN USAs the State government appears determined to challenge the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) over the appointment of Shankar Bidari’s appointment as the State police chief, A R Infant, Karnataka’s senior-most IPS officer, says he won’t give up without a fight.
Infant, who secured a favourable order from CAT on Friday, says he is ready to fight till the end if the government does not appoint him the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP).
“It’s not a personal fight. I’m fighting to uphold the dignity of the IPS cadre,” he told Deccan Herald.
If well-placed sources are to be believed, the tussle to bag the top post in the State police force will only escalate further. Bidari’s political allies are solidly backing him.
Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who is facing a stiff challenge from his predecessor B S Yeddyurappa, cannot afford to anger the BJP legislators supporting Bidari.
Go-getter
“Bidari is a go-getter. He will also not give up easily,” sources said.
He has denied allegations of human rights violations and reaffirmed that the special commission headed by Justice (retd) S C Sadashiva and former CBI director C V Narasimhan had, in no way, indicted him. The commission was appointed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in 1999 to look into the complaints of atrocities allegedly committed by the Special Task Force (STF).
Bidari headed the STF that was constituted to track down forest brigand Veerappan.
No action initiated
A few facts go against Bidari. For instance, although the NHRC did not fully act on the Commission’s report, it did announce in January, 2007 compensation to the victims of STF’s alleged atrocities. The NHRC, however, did not recommend any action against the guilty officers.
“The announcement of compensation to the victims amounts to admission of guilt, doesn’t it? Bidari either sanctioned the atrocities or had knowledge about them,” sources said.
A clear picture on the tussle is expected to emerge in the next few days.