Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Feb 10: Upholding an appeal made by Manipal Police Station inspector B G Acharya against his transfer, Karnataka Administrative Tribunal has stayed the operation of his transfer orders and expressed its resentment at the role played by the state home minister and local MLA in his transfer.

On September 4, 2008, the state government had transferred Acharya to Bescom, Chamarajanagar district.  His transfer was affected in a hurry, by obtaining telephonic permission of the chief minister who was away at USA, attending AKKA convention there. When the aggrieved inspector took up the matter with the high powered committee headed by the inspector general of police, the committee upheld the transfer order and asked him to obey the instructions therein.

Karnataka Administrative Tribunal has concluded that in transferring Acharya, the government has violated certain guidelines pertaining to the transfers. Advocate Prasad Hegde who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, had alleged that Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat had played a role in the inspector's untimely transfer, as he was incensed over the inspector's refusal to obey his instructions to ill-treat Atul Rao, accused in the abduction case of Bhat's wife Padmapriya. The MLA had threatened the inspector with dire consequences, saying that his own party was ruling the state, the advocate had informed.

As the home minister took personal interest in the matter, transfer was affected, throwing to winds the related norms. B G Acharya was in Manipal for mere 14 months when he was transferred. Advocate Prasad Hegde informed that the KAT examined the records pertaining to the interference of the two politicians in the transfer of B G Acharya.