Existential crisis for City Lokayukta police

The police wing of the Bangalore City Lokayukta is facing a crisis of sorts as it struggles to deal with the setbacks in the last few months.

Questions have been raised over the fate of the City Lokayukta Superintendent of Police, P K Shivashankar, who himself faces an inquiry by the Lokayukta police. This, after the Lokayukta court handed over a case related to leaking of information by the SP to Bangalore Deputy Commissioner (DC) M K Aiyappa, when the complainant Srinivasmurthy tried to lodge a complaint against the DC with the Lokayukta police.  

Though it has been more than 20 days since the court referred the matter for investigation, there has been no move to replace Shivashankar.

This has had a deleterious effect on the investigation itself and the traps laid by the police. Sources in the City Lokayukta police say that ever since the complaint against the SP was filed, not a single person had come to them to lodge a bribery complaint against any government official. In another instance, a person who wanted to submit documents pertaining to the investigation against MLA M Krishnappa, refused to hand it over to the police and submitted them to the court instead, expressing lack of faith in the police.

Lokayukta Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) H N Sathyanarayana Rao said the SP had informed him that he would like to be relieved of the post.

“Yes, he has made it known that he wants to leave, but nothing has been given in writing,” he said.

Rao, who admitted that he was pursuing the matter, refused to confirm whether any names were being considered for the post.

Controversy

However, sources in the Lokayukta said the ADGP had recommended Chandra Gupta, who is posted in Bellary, D Roopa Moudgil, who is posted in Yadgir and A N Rajanna, who is the additional SP in Mandya.

The name of Roopa, who is no stranger to controversy, has raised eyebrows. The officer, during her tenure in Dharwad, faced departmental inquiry, after a complaint was made by her subordinates that she had deposited money meant for the Dharwad police team in her personal account. The cash award had been given to the team for confiscating large quantities of illicit liquor, during the tenure of her predecessor Srikantappa.

Roopa, as the SP, instead of distributing the money to the team members or depositing it in a government account, put it in her private account.

During the inquiry, Roopa admitted that she had done so because of a personal need and that she had returned the money.

There is a crisis at the level of the DySPs too. Out of the five DySPs, two DySPs, H S Manjunath and Loknath Kadri, will retire in five and six months, respectively.

Another DySP V P M Swamy, who moved to the department only recently, is already on his way out as he has expressed interest in taking up an assignment with the United Nations.

Kadri, who for some strange reason has been brought to Bangalore on deputation from Udupi, has shown reluctance in handling investigations.

Recently, he wrote to the ADGP requesting that he be assigned the post of an assistant investigation officer, rather than the lead officer in a case pertaining to avoidance of duty on imported cars.

In fact, another DySP, Prasanna V Raju, who has worked in the Bangalore division for five years, has sought a transfer to Chikmagalur citing personal reasons.

But, sources in the Lokayukta said the chaotic state of affairs in the City Lokayukta police compelled him to move.

Many of the inspectors have also sought transfers. But nobody has been relieved yet, as there are no replacements.