Govt prepares ground for key IPS transfers

Reshuffle likely in Blore ahead of polls in violation of norms

On the cusp of going to the polls, the State government is learnt to have decided to transfer a host of senior IPS officers in a couple of days once the model code of conduct for elections to urban local bodies ends on March 11 (Monday), violating crucial norms of the Police Establishment Board (PEB) that it had formed a few months ago.

The government has finalised the list of officers to be transferred, sources said. They said that the target would be the Bangalore City Police Commissionerate.

Some of the DCPs and other officers working under the Bangalore Police Commissionerate and holding key posts are likely to be transferred, a senior officer in the Home Department told Deccan Herald.

He said, “The ruling BJP is eying Bangalore City, which accounts for 28 Assembly constituencies. They have plans to position their blue-eyed boys in crucial postings, so that they can work for them during the Assembly polls.”

The transfers that are likely to be effected will also include those of a host of Superintendents of Police in a few districts where the BJP has lost base, sources in the Home Department said.

The BJP government violated PEB norms, when it effected transfers of a few IPS officers in the recent past, including those of B Dayananda (from Joint Commissioner of Crime (East), Bangalore City to IGP-CID Economic Offences Wing), S Murugan (from DIG–CID Economic Offences Wing to Joint Commissioner of Crime (East), Bangalore City), J Arun Chakravarthy (from IGP, Lokayukta to IGP, Forest Cell), P H Rane (DIG, Security to DIG, Lokayukta) and Dr G Ramesh (awaiting posting to DIG, Security).

Section 20B(C) of Karnataka Police Act, newly amended to form the Police Establishment Board in 2012, says: “The PEB shall make appropriate recommendations to the government regarding postings and transfers of officers of and above the rank of Additional Superintendents of Police.”

Another clause of the PEB says: “The government may modify the decision of PEB in exceptional cases, only after recording the reason for doing so. The government shall give due weightage to and shall normally accept the recommendations made by the Board regarding postings and transfers of officers above the ranks of Additional Superintendents of Police.”

The government neither consulted PEB nor took its recommendations. It kept PEB completely in the dark.

A few officers, who earlier worked in the Bangalore City Police Commissionerate limits, are making all efforts to get back during the crucial polls. Many of them are using means such as money, religion, caste and region to occupy prominent posts. In one instance, a senior officer presently posted at the Commissionerate is all set to be transferred out as soon as he is promoted at the end of the year. He is likely to be replaced by another officer who was earlier a Joint Commissioner.

A few senior officers have strongly opposed the transfer proposal. The opinion of the Supreme Court and Election Commission is that such transfers should be avoided, especially when the State is going for elections. The move will have adverse ramifications as the new officers will take at least some months to understand critical areas of a sensitive city like Bangalore, they said.

DG&IGP, Karnataka State Police L R Pachau, also the chairman of the Police Establishment Board, when asked about the recent transfers, told Deccan Herald, “The government is the appropriate authority to effect transfers of senior IPS officers. Hence, such issues can be clarified with the government alone.”  

When asked whether the PEB was kept in the dark before effecting transfers of a few senior IPS  officers a week ago, he refused to comment. Repeated attempts to contact Home Minister R Ashoka were in vain.