State government transferred 211 inspectors; withdrawn orders on Wednesday

Bengaluru: In a stunning turn of events, the Karnataka state government found itself embroiled in a controversy as 211 Police Inspectors and 32 Sub Inspectors were transferred on Tuesday night. However, the situation took a dramatic twist when 11 officers' transfers were halted on Wednesday morning, and the entire list of transfers was withdrawn later in the afternoon. The cancellation of transfers comes amidst accusations from JDS and BJP leaders of an alleged transfer scam in state government.

The sudden and massive transfer of police officers raised eyebrows, leading to speculations that the moves might have been influenced by demands from dissatisfied Congress MLAs. Several Congress MLAs had recently expressed their discontent with the transfer process, prompting overnight blocking of some of the transfers. By Wednesday morning, the number of officers whose transfers were withheld rose to 19, and ultimately, the police department directed that no inspectors or sub-inspectors should be relieved from their posts.

The order to withhold transfers came from the central office, affecting mostly Bangalore-based officials. The 19 officers transfers blocked include Ravi Gowda B- Yeswantpur Traffic station, , Dhananjay- Yeswantpur, Law and Order, Laxman J – Nandini Layout Police Station, Ashatta Gowda- Janabharathi Police Station, Govindaraju – Peenya Police Station, Krishnakumar- Begur Police Station, Jagdish – KS Layout Police Station, Vajramuni – KR Market, Ravikumar – Puttenahalli, Anilkumar – Malleswaram, Jigani station- Edwin Pradeep.

The rapid series of transfers, subsequent blocking, and final cancellation fueled suspicions and allegations of a transfer scam possibly operating within the system. The allegations pointed towards rivalries between MLAs and Ministers concerning police officer transfers. MLAs accused that their recommendations held no weight in the transfer process, leading to further discord.

It has been reported that a fierce conflict emerged between factions led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, each vying for influence over the transfer of inspectors. Notably, the overnight blocking of transfers under the jurisdiction of Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituencies further deepened the political turmoil, with D.K. Sivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh allegedly involved in the factional battles.

The situation has cast a cloud of uncertainty over the state's police department and raised serious questions about the integrity of the transfer process.