After the recent spurt in heinous crimes against women and children that set off a wave of public anger for its failure to act swiftly to bring the culprits to book, the Karnataka government on Monday shunted out Bengaluru’s top cops — police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar and additional commissioner of police (law and order) Kamal Pant.
Mr Auradkar, an IPS officer of 1987 batch, has been replaced by ADGP (law and order) M.N. Reddi, who is also the seniormost ADGP in the state. He belongs to the 1984 IPS batch and has earlier served in the city as additional commissioner of traffic.
Inspector-general of police and additional commissioner of police (law and order) Kamal Pant’s replacement is IGP, police grievance cell, Alok Kumar of the 1994 batch of IPS.
While both officers are seen as highly effective with a good track record, chief minister Siddaramaiah and home minister K.J. George, in giving in to pressure from their own ministers, the Opposition leaders and several senior bureaucrats to transfer Mr Auradkar and his deputy, are hoping that the new brass will live up to their reputations.