Following spat between senior cops, rejig in Hubballi-Dharwad police

HUBBALLI: Close on the heels of a publicised airing of differences in the top brass of the Hubballi-Dharwad police involving twin cities’ commissioner R Dileep and deputy commissioner of police Krishnakant, both the senior cops have been transferred. While Dileep has been made the deputy inspector general of police for the Criminal Investigation Department’s economic offences wing, Krishnakant has been appointed the superintendent of police for Dharwad district.
Meanwhile, Labhu Ram, a 2004 batch officer of the Indian Police Services (IPS) has been appointed the new Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner. However, the outgoing Dharwad SP Vartika Katiyar has not been assigned a new posting.
Dileep and Krishnakant had been at loggerheads following a letter written by the latter alleging that the former twin cities’ top cop had not given him an appointment to discuss a sensitive case. The exchange of letters between Dileep and Krishnakant subsequently became public knowledge causing much embarrassment to both police and the local leaders.
Dileep’s stint at the top in Hubballi-Dharwad had been a rather controversial one, particularly over his reported failure to maintain law and order in the twin cities. There had also claims of Dileep’s inability to connect with the public, not to mention local elected representatives’ unhappiness with his style of functioning. In fact, home minister Basavaraj Bommai had urged Dileep to don a more proactive role.
Dharwad district in-charge minister Jagadish Shettar had, in the wake of the public spat between the two senior cops, assured the public of resolving the issue. The two cops’ transfer follows Shettar’s announcement.
Deputy commissioner of police Nagesh, who had also reportedly been unhappy with Dileep, had happily accepted a transfer.