BELAGAVI: Ahead of elections to legislative assembly, the government has shifted all the three top IPS officers from Belagavi and brought in new faces for the post of police commissioner, IGP (northern range) and DCP (crime).
Sources claim that pressure from local politicians and caste considerations have played a major role in these appointments. The post of police commissioner had remained vacant for over a month after the previous incumbent Krishna Bhat retired.
D.C. Rajappa has been appointed the new Police Commissioner of Belagavi. Earlier the names of IPS officers Sandeep Patil, T.R. Suresh and Satish Kumar were doing rounds for the post. However, Rajappa has only one year and eight months left for his retirement.
After Bhat’s retirement, IGP Ramachandra Rao was holding the additional charge of Belagavi police commissioner.
The government has appointed Alok Kumar as new IGP (Northern Range) in place of Ramachandra Rao, Mahaning Nandagavi has been made the new DCP (Crime) Belagavi, who will replace Amarnath Reddy. Nandagavi had been SP in Kalaburagi and will assume charge shortly.
Reddy was instrumental in cracking several major cases during his stint as DCP Crime in Belagavi. He was transferred two months ago as SP of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Belagavi, but the orders were later withdrawn.
In the past one year Belagavi has witnessed several communal clashes, leading to loss of lives, injuries and widespread damage to property. Even police personnel got injured while dealing with clashes.
In this backdrop a sudden transfer of top three officers may make it difficult for the police department to initiate necessary measures to maintain law and order, as the newly-appointed trio may require some time to know about the problems of Belagavi city.
