Mangaluru: Top Cops Transferred as Coastal Karnataka Tensions Rise
In a major shake-up aimed at curbing escalating communal tensions, the Karnataka government on Thursday ordered significant police transfers, including the replacement of Mangaluru‘s Police Commissioner. The reshuffle follows a spate of recent violent incidents that have raised concerns over law and order in the coastal belt.
Among the key changes, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal has been replaced by Sudheer Kumar Reddy, a 2010 batch IPS officer who previously served as Deputy Inspector General of Police (Intelligence). Reddy now steps into a role critical to stabilising the volatile atmosphere in Mangaluru.
In Belagavi, another sensitive region, Police Commissioner Borase Bhushan Gulabrao has taken charge. Until now, he was posted as DIG of Cyber Crime and Narcotics in the CID wing.
Further transfers at the SP level reflect the government’s urgent bid to reassert control. Udupi SP Dr. Arun K has been appointed as the new Superintendent of Police for Dakshina Kannada district. In his place, 2017 batch officer Hariram Shankar takes over Udupi’s top police post.
These swift changes come after two chilling incidents this month. On May 1, former Bajrang Dal member Suhas Shetty, an accused in the 2022 Fazil murder case, was killed. Just weeks later, on Monday, 42-year-old Imtiyaz—a pick-up driver and mosque secretary—was brutally murdered in broad daylight near Ira Kodi in Bantwal. His associate sustained serious injuries.
The government hopes the transfers will help de-escalate the situation and rebuild public confidence in policing.
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