Bengaluru: The illegal lottery scam seems to have shaken the police department in the state and the government was left with egg on its face, when the scandal erupted recently. It was even compelled to bring in the CBI to investigate the case, as many of its top officers were alleged to have been involved in it. Only time and a thorough investigation will reveal the truth, but in the meanwhile, the State government is planning a major reshuffle in the police department.
Sources say that the government was contemplating a series of transfers which would involve senior officers as well as those in the rank of inspectors and sub-inspectors, whose names have cropped up during the investigation on the lottery scam. Even those officers suspected to have links with cricket betting racket will also be transferred, sources said.
The State government had prepared the list of officers to be transferred but it was put on hold due to gram panchayat elections. As the election process has been completed, a decision on transfers will be taken at the earliest. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will hold a meeting in this regard in a couple of days, said the sources.
Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, in a press meet recently, had alleged that Chakravarthy and Agarwal were involved with the illegal lottery trade, and it is said that the names of senior IPS officers Arun Chakravarthy, IGP (Central Range) and Sunil Agarwal, IGP (North East Range) figure in the list.
“The Opposition is gearing up to rake up the issue in the legislature session scheduled to be held in July. So, to tackle the issue, the State government will transfer them at the earliest,” said the sources.
Two months ago, the government had transferred 281 inspectors in the State. By the time, they could release the transfer list of the police officials in the rural areas, the gram panchayat elections was announced. It is also learnt, a few police officers are staying put in same places for more than three years in various commissionerates and they will also be transferred, added the source.
