In a major reshuffle in the Bengaluru City Police on Saturday, ADGP Praveen Sood was appointed the new City Police Commissioner.

Sood replaced NS Megharikh, who will be ADGP, Anti-Corruption Bureau, after nearly 16 months in office as the police commissioner.

Sood, who will take charge on Sunday, has previously served as the Deputy Commissioner and Additional Commissioner (Traffic).

“With the lower rung of the police force, till the ACP level, transferred out of the city in 2015, a reshuffle of senior officers was on the cards this year,” an officer in the CM's office told The Times of India.

It is also being reported that the reshuffle comes in the wake of assembly elections due to be held in 2018, with Home Minister’s security adviser Kempaiah playing a major role in the transfers.

Apart from the City Police Commissioner, as many as 41 IPS officers have been transferred across the state.

Additional Commissioner (West) KSR Charan Reddy has been replaced by IG (Internal Security) Malini Krishnamurthy and has been posted as IG Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), and P Harishekaran (ACP East) has been replaced by Hemanth Nimbalkar and posted as and IG Western Range, Mangaluru.

 ACB Chief MA Saleem has been posted as IGP, Eastern Range and KV Sarath Chandra has replaced him.