Bengaluru: Praveen Sood sat on transfer file, shunted out?

BENGALURU: Did Praveen Sood pay the price for sitting on a file that recommended some 20 inspectors were to be transferred, with the recommendations coming from a senior official in the home department? And, did this lead the government to shunt him out as the city Police Commissioner?

Sources in the police department told Deccan Chronicle that a senior official in the home department, who enjoys tremendous clout in the government, wanted at least 20 police inspectors of his choice to be posted to various police stations of the city. He had reportedly sent the list of inspectors, who needs to be transferred or interchanged, along with the names of the desired police stations, to Mr. Sood.

But one month on, and there was no movement on the transfers, an insider said. In addition, when the transfers did go through, not one of the names recommended by the senior official was transferred.

"The list was given to Mr. Sood more than a month ago and he was expected to send the same to the Police Establishment Board, which decides the transfers of inspector level officers. But, he did not act upon it and sat on the file for over a month. Last week, the transfer list of around 100 inspectors was issued. The senior 

Official of the home department was shocked to see not even a single name he recommended was on the transfer list, and this left him fuming," a senior police officer said, on condition of anonymity.

It is learnt that the senior official made a firm decision to see Mr. Sood is shunted out of the city, after the latter did not pay heed to his recommendation. "The development was also brought to the notice of the Chief Minister and the senior official convinced the CM to transfer Mr. Sood. The CM, who always consider the advise given by that person, agreed and transferred Mr. Sood," the officer added.