The city has a new police chief with Bhaskar Rao replacing Alok Kumar, who held the post for only 47 days.
Mr. Rao, a Bengalurean and a 1990 batch IPS officer, took charge on Friday evening. However, the ritual of the incumbent handing over the baton to the successor did not take place. Senior officials went to the commissioner’s official residence to escort Mr. Kumar to the event, but returned without him.
“The house is locked. I will take charge,” a waiting Mr. Rao said.
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Prior to his appointment as city police commissioner, Mr. Rao held the post of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Karnataka State Reserve Police, which will now be filled by Mr. Kumar.
The new police commissioner said he will prioritise community friendly policing and zero tolerance to drugs. “Increasing the trust of citizens in the police will be my motto,” he said, adding that being a Bengalurean, he is honoured to be given the opportunity to serve the city as its police chief.
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Sources in the police department said that Mr. Kumar may challenge his transfer given that he has had one of the shortest tenures as police commissioner. In a midnight reshuffle on June 17, former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy appointed him as the police chief, the same day that he had been promoted to Additional Director General of Police. According to sources, the then chief minister had vetoed all objections from the Congress to the appointment.
In the landmark Prakash Singh case, the Supreme Court had set a tenure of two years for IGP and senior officers “unless it is found necessary to remove them prematurely following disciplinary proceedings”. An amendment to the Karnataka Police Act provides a tenure of at least one year. Mr. Kumar may contest his transfer on these grounds, said sources.
In another dramatic development, Umesh Kumar, additional commissioner (west) was replaced by B.R. Ravikante Gowda, downgrading the post to DIG rank. However, hours later, the transfers were revoked. While Umesh Kumar retained his job, Mr. Gowda could not go back to his old job and is now awaiting a posting.
Hemanth M. Nimbalkar, who was transferred a day earlier without a posting, has now been posted as additional commissioner (administration), Bengaluru. D. Devaraja, who was waiting for a posting, has been posted as SP, CID. Dr. M. Ashwini has been posted as DCP (Intelligence), Bengaluru. R. Chetan has been posted as SP, Coastal Security Police, Udupi district.