Karnataka police may have 7th DGP, govt writes to MHA

Bengaluru: The state police may have a seventh Director General of Police (DGP) to accommodate the 1983-batch IPS officer Neelmani K. Raju, who has returned to state after a 23-year-long stint at the Centre. She was last posted as the joint director with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) before being repatriated to her cadre state- Karnataka.

According to top government sources, CM Siddaramaiah wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs three days ago seeking sanction for a fourth, time-bound, ex-cadre post of DGP to accommodate Ms Raju, who is senior to three serving DGPs – Kishore Chandra (CID), M.N. Reddi (Homeguards), both of 1984 batch of IPS, and H.N.S. Rao (Prisons) of 1985 batch.

Setting aside the speculation that the government may post her as DGP, ACB, the officer on condition of anonymity said the head of ACB is an ADGP rank officer. “The post cannot be upgraded to accommodate a DGP-rank officer,” he said.

The state government is under obligation to grant Ms Raju a temporary post according to her seniority. She is awaiting promotion to the rank of DGP.

The government will write to the Centre and subject to sanction by the MHA, Ms Raju will be posted as DGP (ex-cadre) until the superannuation of DGP Police Housing Corporation Sushant Mahapatra in December this year.

After his retirement, the post will fall vacant and the government will then post the serving DGPs at its discretion. In January 2017, the incumbent DG&IGP Om Prakash will demit office on superannuation. The tussle for the police chief’s post will begin then.