BENGALURU: On New Year’s eve, the state government effected a major shakeup in the city police. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Praveen Sood replaced NS Megharikh as the new commissioner of Bengaluru Police. Megharikh will head the ACB.
Sood has had the experience of working in the city police as Deputy Commissioner and Additional Commissioner (Traffic). He will take charge on Sunday. Megharikh, who preferred to keep a low-profile, had a 16-month tenure as the city police chief.
Notification on the transfer of over 32 IPS officers, including 16 in the city police, was issued on Saturday evening when the police top brass was busy providing security for new year celebrations. A few IAS and forest service officers too were transferred on Saturday evening.
Reshuffle of 16 senior officers — DCPs to Commissioner — at one go is perhaps unprecedented in Bengaluru police wing. Two Additional Commissioners — KSR Charan Reddy and P Harishekaran — have been transferred and posted as IG Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and IG Western Range, Mangaluru, respectively. They were replaced by IG (Internal Security) Malini Krishnamurthy as Additional Commissioner (West) and Hemanth Nimbalkar as Additional Commissioner East.
Sources in the government told Express that it is a ‘routine administrative measure’ as many officers had completed their tenure and some of them were due for a promotion.
Megharikh and his team were credited for efficiently handling many critical situations and cracking many cases, including that of RSS leader Rudresh’s murder near Commercial Street.
City police, however, came under criticism for violence on the first day of the Cauvery agitation. They got the situation under control on the second day, but the damage was done.
Sources said many officers in the city police were not happy with the sudden shake-up. Home Minister’s security adviser Kempaiah is said to have played a key role in the transfers and postings.