Telangana polls: Damocles sword hangs over several IPS, IAS officers; more transfers expected

Hyderabad: Damocles sword is hanging over several top IPS and IAS officers in Telangana.

Transfer of Karimnagar Police Commissioner L Subba Rayudu and Collector B. Gopi marked the third round of transfers by the Election Commission of India, ahead of the Telangana assembly elections.

Sources said another round of transfers is anticipated in the days to come, especially of other state cadre officers serving in Telangana on High Court stay orders.

The bureaucratic circuit in Telangana, though tight-lipped, has termed the transfers as the 'act of the Bharatiya Janata Party'. A senior officer who was transferred in the first round alleged that the ECI is acting on the complaints filed by BJP president Kishen Reddy, MLA Raghunandhan Rao, and MP Bandi Sanjay

"Not too long ago, Karimnagar witnessed a road rage in which both boys from different communities were engaged in a brawl. The incident was blown out of proportion by the BJP who intended to give it a communal twist. A few hundred were taken into preventive custody and later released. A majority of them belonged to the BJP cadre. At the time of the incident, Karimnagar cops tried to handle it fairly. However, it was based on a complaint by the BJP to the ECI which triggered the transfer of Karimnagar Police Commissioner. Pertinently, former BJP president Bandi Sanjay is an MP from Karimnagar," an officer told NewsMeter.

Likewise, former officer on special duty, North Zone Task Force Radha Kishan was made on a complaint filed by the Congress party. "To balance things, DCP Radha Kishan was transferred in the second round on Congress' complaint. The officers who are not succumbing to the BJP are being targeted. Going by the procedure, when a complaint is filed with the Election Commission, it seeks a report from the Director General of Police. The DGP then orders an inquiry and based on this, the transfer takes place. However, if you see the last three rounds, no report was sought from the DGP. Any complaint by the BJP or Congress is taken seriously and transfer orders follow" added the officer.

Major Transfers

First Round:

On October 11, the EC transferred 13 top cops, four collectors, one IAS, and two officers in Telangana, as ECI found laxity in their work. They include Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V Anand, Warangal Commissioner A V Ranganath, and Nizamabad police chief V Satyanarayana.

The list of Superintendent of police includes Sanga Reddy- M Ramana; Kama Reddy - B Srinivas Reddy; Jagityal - A Bhaskar; Mahbubnagar- K Narasimha; Nagarkurnool- K Manohar; Jogulamba Gadwal- K Srujana; Mahbubabad- G Chandramohan; Narayanpet- N Venkateshwarulu; Jayashankar Bhupalapally- P Karunakar; and Suryapet- Rajender Prasad.

Four Collectors transferred include S Harish from Rangareddy; D Amoy Kumar from Medchal Malkajgiri; Vinay Krishna Reddy from Yadadri Bhuvangiri; and Vishnu Reddy from Nirmal.

Director of Excise and Prohibition Md Musharraf Ali Faruqui who was recently posted has also been transferred.

In an official communication, the ECI said, "They (transferred officials) should not be assigned to any election works till completion of state election 2023. The Chief Secretary is asked to furnish a panel of 3 IPS officers for the CPs and SPs by 5 PM -12th October 2023".

The commission also ordered the removal of the transport secretary and the commissioner of commercial tax IAS T Sreedevi in Telangana.

Second Round

On October 20, P Radha Kishan, OSD- Task Force- Hyderabad was transferred and not given a position. On the same day, 5 DCPs including Birudaraju Rohith Raju, B.Balaswamy, DCP, SB, Rachakonda; Nitika Pant, IPS (RR:2017), DCP, Women Safety, Cyberabad; Dr.Chetana Mylabhatula, IPS (RR:2013), Joint Director, Anti Corruption Bureau, Hyderabad; and Dr.Tarun Joshi, IPS (RR:2004), IGP, Training, was transferred. However, all five were given postings.

Third Round

Karimnagar Police Commissioner IPS L Subba Rayudu and Collector B. Gopi marked the third round of transfers by the Election Commission of India