Pressure forces out K’taka DSP
Excise mafia forced Shenoy to quit, hints FB status
The threatened stir by the Karnataka constabulary in protest against, among other things, political interference in police work, fizzled out on Saturday, but by a strange coincidence, Kudligi DSP Anupama Shenoy resigned the very same evening, hinting at the excise mafia forcing her decision. It was as if she was holding a mirror to the malaise in the department which the constabulary had tried to bring to the fore by its thwarted agitation.
Causing quite a sensation by her sudden decision to quit, Ms Shenoy’s status on Facebook strongly indicated that the excise mafia’s pressure tactics was to blame for it.
While not denying that the police comes under pressure, a senior officer, however, believes that quitting is not the solution. “When one is serving in a responsible post, there will obviously be a lot of pressure. Officers are trained in stress management and in handling such situations. There is no point in just running away. However, we cannot conclude what exactly happened in this particular case,” he says.
Former director- general and inspector- general of police S. T. Ramesh says its highly likely that those involved in the liquor
A serving inspector says it’s difficult to crack down on those in the liquor business as political interference almost immediately comes in the way
Most of those in the liquor business are likely to have contact with one or other politician. Using their connections and money power, they try to get things done their way. This leads to conflict of interest between them and the law keepers. — S. T. RAMESH, former DG
business have influence in administrative circles. “Most of them will have some connection with one or the other politician as well and will try to use this and money power to get things done their way. This can lead to conflict of interest between them and the law keepers,” he acknowledges.
While he claims to have never had any firsthand experience of such pressure tactics during his years in service, he says he has been told of others having to put up with it. “I have heard that officers in the stations do have to deal with the excise mafia. But nobody has come up to me to complain about it,” he adds.
A serving police inspector, who has worked both in Bengaluru and rural areas, says it’s difficult to crack down on those in the liquor business as political interference almost immediately comes in the way.
Even it is a smaller matter of shutting down a bar or wine shop, the police has to fight every inch of the way to achieve their ends, according to him.