Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the government would not tolerate indiscipline in the police force in the State.
To a query by presspersons as to why the government has remained a mute spectator to the wrangling between Additional Director-General of Police P. Ravindranath and Bangalore city Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “Our government will not tolerate indiscipline in the police force. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will conduct an impartial investigation to reveal truth to the public.”
One should not conclude that the government has failed to take action against police officials. We have ordered a CID inquiry into the issue. We will take stern action based on the findings of the investigation report,” Mr. Siddaramaiah told presspersons after the inauguration of the renovated Press Club of Bangalore Bhavan here.
“Nobody will be meted out injustice. Officials have to listen to the government, otherwise, legal action will be taken against irritant officials,” Mr. Siddaramaiah, who held a meeting with Home Minister K.J. George on the issue on Thursday, said.
‘Lakshman rekha’Taking a serious view of the protest by the Karnataka State Reserve Police personnel in support of Mr. Ravindranath, Mr. George on Friday warned of action against police personnel taking part in such activities.
The Minister told presspersons here that there was a ‘Lakshman rekha’ for all, including him, and that he had not crossed it. He said the uniformed personnel were a disciplined force and were not entitled to protest in public as the KSRP men did at Koramangala here. The police should not come to the street to air their grievances, he said, and rejected the suggestion that they had revolted against the government.
Mr. Auradkar had been divested of the responsibility of conducting the investigation into the case as Mr. Ravindranath had filed an atrocities case against him, Mr. George said, and added that the CID had been entrusted with the investigation.
The Minister said the CID might furnish its report in 20 days after getting the Forensic Science Lab report.
Ruling out Mr. Ravindranath’s suspension, the Minister said any such action should be done after serving him a notice as he was an IPS officer. Mr. George said that the officer had not met him in his residence to discuss the issue yet.
He said that both the women, whose photographs were allegedly taken by the ADGP in a coffee shop here, and the former IFS officer Sridhar (who was present at the coffee shop) met him seeking security, which had been provided.
