Ballari: The abrupt transfer of Deputy Superintendent of Police Ms Anupama Shenoy from Kudligi police sub-division in the district to Indi in Vijayapura district was allegedly to help illegal sand miners have a free run until the completion of zilla and taluk panchayat polls, according to reliable sources.
They said that district-in-charge Minister P.T. Parameshwar Naik was under pressure to transfer the woman officer as she was tough with illegal sand miners and transporters in her jurisdiction. In addition, she had also cracked down on illegal liquor trade, gambling and other anti-social activities in the division.
Sources said that those involved in these businesses have been pressuring Mr Naik to transfer her. “With the announcement of the elections to the zilla and taluk panchayats, ensuring free hand to illegal sand and liquor business was necessary for powerful politicians in view of election expenditures. Hence Anupama was transferred,” said a source. They told the Minister that Anupama would certainly be stringent in enforcing election code in her sub-division and curb illicit liquor sale in villages and that may adversely affect the poll outcome.
Public’s support
However, she earned accolades among the general public by launching awareness programmes among the hamlets of Kadugolla tribe in Kudligi where women were ostracized during delivery, menstrual period and also, launched drives against illicit liquor sale. The sources said that minister was waiting for a pretext to transfer her.
On January 18, Anupama received a call made by an associate of the minister, who told her that the minister would be talking to her, duly asking her to put the phone on hold. Although she held the phone for sometime, no one spoke from the other side. While she was waiting, she received a call from District Superintendent of Police Chetan. She cut the Minister's call and received the one from her superior. Later she got another call from the Minister, who reprimanded her for not waiting for him to come on the line and he threatened to take action.
The next day he got in touch with the home minister, and got Anupama transferred to Athani in Belagavi district. The order was thereafter modified, and she was posted to Indi in Vijayapura district, it is said.
