Bengaluru’s Mehdi Biswas investigator shifted out in spate of transfers

In an unexpected development, Bengaluru city's Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Hemanth Nimbalkar, who is investigating the important case of Mehdi Masroor Biswas, the handler of a pro-IS Twitter account, was transferred on Wednesday, the last day of the year.

Nimbalkar was investigating the case of Mehdi Masroor Biswas right from the start, and his transfer has raised eyebrows.

In a switch of postings, Nimbalkar has now been posted as Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services, Bengaluru; while his predecessor in the post, M Chandra Sekhar, DIG Fire and Emergency Services, will replace him.

Similarly, Kamal Panth, Inspector-General of Police, Grievances and Human Rights, Bengaluru, will replace K V Gagandeep, Additional Director-General of Police, Prisons, Bengaluru.

Gagandeep's service was under a cloud in view of allegations that some of the inmates of Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara were enjoying a cushy life. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had pulled him up at the annual meet of senior police officers recently.

There was an allegation that instead of being a place of hardship prison inmates were enjoying all kinds of benefits, and the prison cell has turned into a cosy pad.

Besides Nimbalkar and Gagandeep, 22 IPS officers have been transferred in the state on the last day of the year.

Meanwhile, the state government effected a minor reshuffle of bureaucrats by transferring 16 senior IAS officers, including appointment of Vasireddi Vijaya Jyotsna as Controller of Examination for Karnataka Public Service Commission. She was working as CEO Raichur ZP.

T H M Kumar has been appointed managing director of Power Company of Karnataka Ltd (PCKL), and Munish Moudgil has been placed in concurrent charge of the post of Commissioner for Survey Settlement and Land Records.