Ballari Violence: SP Pavan Nejjur Placed Under Suspension

 Ballari: The Karnataka government on Friday placed Ballari Superintendent of Police Pavan Nejjur under suspension with immediate effect, holding him prima facie responsible for failing to effectively handle the law-and-order situation during a violent clash in Ballari on Thursday night.

Supporters of Bellary City MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and Gangavathi MLA G Janardhan Reddy had clashed in the city, during which a Congress worker was killed in a firing incident. There were also incidents of stone pelting, following which police resorted to lathi charge and tear gas to bring the situation under control.

The suspension comes about 24 hours after Nejjur took charge as Ballari SP. Pavan Nejjur, who was serving as Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, was transferred and posted as Ballari SP on December 31. He assumed charge on the morning of January 1, and the clash broke out later that evening. The government issued the suspension order on January 2.

The order follows a recommendation by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), Ballari Range, who stated that the officer did not act effectively to handle the situation and failed to properly brief senior officers about the ground situation.

The Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) also endorsed the recommendation for disciplinary action.

After examining the matter, the State Government concluded that the conduct of the officer amounted to a violation of Rule 3 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and said it was prima facie satisfied that placing the officer under suspension was necessary pending inquiry.

Accordingly, in an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) on January 2, the government placed Pavan Nejjur under suspension.