Two top police officers in Karnataka probing the death of coffee czar and Coffee Day Enterprise founder VG Siddhartha have been transferred out of their existing positions. Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru, Sandeep Patil, and DCP, Law and Order, Mangaluru, Hanumantharaya, have been transferred as part of a major reshuffle in the IPS ranks in the state.
Transfers of this scale are common with a new government taking shape, with BS Yeddyurappa taking oath as the CM for the fourth time earlier in the week. In his previous two-day stint in May 2018, he affected three transfers in the state’s IPS ranks within hours of taking oath.
Patil has been now posted as the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Bengaluru City, while Hanumantharaya has been posted as the Superintendent of Police in Davanagere. A Subramanyeswara Rao, who was the DIG Intelligence, has been made the new Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru.
Incidentally, the chief of the Special Investigation Team probing the multi-crore IMA scam, BR Ravikanthe Gowda, has been transferred without any posting.
Other major reshuffles include Amar Kumar Pandey, previously ADGP, Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, who has now been posted as the ADGP, Law and Order. Existing ADGP, Law and Order, Kamal Pant is the new chief of State Intelligence. Pant will replace B Dayanand, who will now be posted as the chief of the State Reserve Police.
Chetan Singh Rathor, who was the SP of Ramanagara, is now the new DCP Police, Central Division, Bengaluru City, replacing D Devaraja, who has been transferred out without any posting.
DCP (Intelligence), Bengaluru KM Shantharaju has also been transferred and made the new SP of Shivamogga.
Apart from the IPS transfers, CM BS Yeddyurappa also appointed Commissioner for Transport & Road Safety, VP Ikkeri, as Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister, Chief Minister Secretariat, Bengaluru in a newly created post. However, Ikkeri will continue to serve in his existing position as well.