Bangalore, July 17: The Karnataka government today shunted out a whistleblower cop who had alleged that AIADMK leader V. Sasikala was getting special privileges in jail and sent her boss she had accused of corruption on compulsory leave ahead of his impending retirement.
Deputy inspector-general of police (prisons) D. Roopa would now have to manage traffic and road safety in Bangalore.
But in a clear indication that there might be some truth in Roopa's allegations, her boss, additional director-general of police (prisons), H.N. Sathyanarayana Rao, would most likely retire without a post.
Rao, who is due to retire soon, has been replaced by former Bangalore police commissioner N.S. Megharikh with immediate effect.
Later in the evening the government also replaced Krishna Kumar, the chief superintendent at the Bangalore Central Prison, with superintendent Anitha R. following protests by some inmates of the high-security jail over Roopa's transfer.
Sources said Kumar was apparently one of the officers Roopa had named in her report on the alleged violation of jail norms.
Roopa had alleged corruption at high levels in the prisons department and accused her boss, Rao, of bending the rules for certain inmates like Sasikala.
She had reported that Sasikala, convicted in a Rs 66-crore disproportionate assets case along with the late Jayalalithaa, was allowed to operate a private kitchen and that an inmate had been appointed as personal attendant for the leader of the AIADMK that rules Tamil Nadu.
Sasikala is also said to have been given a separate room to do yoga.
Roopa also reported about "speculations" that Sasikala had paid Rs 2 crore to prison officials, including Rao, in return for the privileges they had allowed her.
Rao had denied all the allegations and accused Roopa of playing politics by "leaking" the report to the media. He had also said he was ready to face any probe.
Roopa had filed a second report on Saturday alleging that video footage she had submitted as evidence to back her charges had been wiped out by someone in the prisons department. It wasn't clear if she still possessed the original footage.
The outcry over the allegations forced chief minister P.C. Siddaramaiah to order a probe by a retired IAS officer, Vinay Kumar.
Opposition leaders accused the Congress government of tormenting good officers.
Leader of the Opposition B.S. Yeddyurappa, who had spent 25 days in the same jail after being arrested in October 2011 over some controversial land deals, said the government was "humiliating" an upright officer.
"Instead of encouraging an upright officer like Roopa, this government has punished her for exposing corrupt officials. At this rate, honest officers won't be able to work peacefully," the former chief minister said.
"The government should have called her and discussed her report with an aim to clean up the system," said Jagadish Shettar, another senior BJP leader and former chief minister. "Instead of appreciating her effort, the government has punished a good officer."
H.D. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) also flayed the government for "mishandling" the issue.
"I knew Roopa would be bundled out as soon as her report was submitted as this government cannot stand good officers," he said, calling for a clean-up in the prisons system.
"The government might want us to believe this is a routine rejig. But I know this is punishment transfer, at least for Roopa," Kumaraswamy, also a former chief minister, added.
