Bangalore, Jan 31 (IANS) Indian Police Service (IPS) officer S.T. Ramesh Monday assumed the post of Karnataka’s director-general of police (DGP) and inspector-general of police (IGP) as an interim measure following the retirement of top police officer Ajai Kumar Singh.
The state government has decided to give the top post to Ramesh as an additional charge as he already holds the rank of DGP in-charge of police training since Aug 1, 2010.
‘The stop-gap arrangement for the top post has been necessitated due to a stay on the appointment of a full-time DGP & IGP by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Jan 24 as per the notification of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to the state government that all senior IPS officers with 30 years of service should be considered for the top post,’ a official of the state home ministry told IANS here.
The CAT granted the stay on a petition filed by another IPS officer D.V. Guruprasad, a contender for the top post, holding the rank of DGP and is in-charge of the state criminal investigation department (CID).
Both Ramesh and Guruprasad belong to the 1976 IPS batch.
Bangalore police commissioner Shankar Bidari has also staked claim for the top post as he completed 30 years of service in the state police department and holds the rank of additional DGP.
The state government attempted to get the CAT stay vacated in the Supreme Court earlier in the day but did not succeed as no order was passed.
Two other IPS officers holding the DGP rank – Jija Hari Singh for Home Guards and Sharath Saxena for State Police Housing Corporation – retired Monday along with Singh.
Guruprasad and Bidari were not present when Singh handed over the baton to Ramesh as an interim DGP & IGP in the city.
The state government also did not give extension to Singh so as to avoid a precedence.
