Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to appoint the senior-most IPS officer in the state and Director General of Police, Internal Security Division Neelmani N. Raju as Karnataka's next police chief. Caught between increasing pressure from his Vokkaliga colleagues to appoint the second senior-most police officer and DGP, Criminal Investigation Department, H.C. Kishore Chandra as the Director General and Inspector General of Police and his preference to give credence to seniority and merit, the chief minister has maintained a stoic silence on his move.
"Nearly half his cabinet is backing Chandra, but the chief minister has not given any assurance to anyone. He would like to avoid a controversy and may appoint the senior-most IPS officer, but nothing is known so far," said sources in the Chief Minister's Office. He said that if the CM bypassed seniority and appointed Mr Chandra, his batchmate and a third top contender, DGP, Anti-Corruption Bureau M.N. Reddi, may challenge his appointment.
"Mr Siddaramaiah would not like to get into any controversy at this point. The fact that the appointment order of the next DG&IGP has not yet been issued shows that the CM wants to play his cards carefully," said the officer. The GO will be issued by 5pm on Tuesday, when the incumbent DG&IGP R.K. Dutta will demit office on retirement. Mrs Raju belongs to the 1983 batch of Indian Police Service, while Mr Chandra and Mr Reddi are from the 1984 batch.
