71 of 78 cops of Kumaraswamy Layout police station transferred

BENGALURU: In a record of sorts, 71 of the 78 personnel working at Kumaraswamy Layout police station have been transferred, in the wake of videos of some of them ill-treating a woman last month going viral on social media.

K Annamalai, deputy commissioner of police (south), however, said the move shouldn’t be viewed as a punishment as much as an image-cleansing exercise. Incidentally, three other staffers of the station are under suspension for high-handed behaviour with the woman.

“We have transferred 71 people barring the three sub-inspectors, and this is not a question of right or wrong. We want our stations to have a new culture and adopt people-friendly measures,” Annamalai said.

Sources from Kumaraswamy Layout police said 78 personnel were working in the station, including inspector Guru Prasad, who had been transferred a few days prior to the incident coming to light in what was a routine shifting. The three SIs have been retained as they had not completed the one-year mandatory term at the police station, they added.

Three personnel, including the assistant sub-inspector who assaulted the woman, the constable who was seen with him and the sentry who made the video of the officer’s high-handedness, were suspended earlier this week as the video went viral.

Police commissioner T Suneel Kumar effected the transfers based on a report submitted by Annamalai on Friday. “We have replaced the 71 personnel with staffers from various police stations of south division,” a senior police officer said.

“The commissioner reviewed the recommendation and approved the transfer,” Annamalai said, adding that the transfers were done to rid the station of groupism. “There is no scope for groupism in stations,” he said. Reiterating that this wasn't a punishment, he said: “The aim is to enhance the image (name) of Bengaluru police.”

Kumaraswamy Layout police had courted infamy in July 2018 when five personnel, including a woman police SI, were suspended for allegedly siphoning off two guns deposited in the station by members of the public during the assembly elections held earlier in May. Preliminary inquiry had revealed that constables had hidden the weapons to bring a bad name to their inspector, Guru Prasad. A few months later, foul messages were exchanged on the station personnel’s WhatsApp group.

Head constable dies in village

One of the suspended personnel, head constable Burana Sab Nadaf, 52, who was in Mahalingapura village in Bagalkot district on leave, collapsed and died on Friday. It is not clear whether he collapsed after he heard of his transfer or before.