Karnataka: Minister caught on camera saying he got DSP shunted

On Wednesday, local channels aired visuals of the minister boasting about his role in the transfer of the DSP. “When I called her again, she did not receive, so I got her transferred. Why do we want officials who don’t take phone calls from the district in-charge minister?,” Naik is purportedly heard saying in the footage, which was reportedly recorded in Hadagalli constituency of Ballari district. Naik had earlier denied role in Shenai’s transfer.

According to the accounts of Naik and Shenai, a personal secretary of the minister called her on the cellphone and stated that the minister wanted to speak to her. While the officer was waiting for the minister to come on line, she received a call from her superior. She put the minister’s call on hold to speak to her senior.

Agitated, Naik had taken the officer to task last week and escalated the matter to the police headquarters and the home ministry.

Subsequently, Shenai was transferred.

Following the emergence of the video, home minister and state Congress president G Parameshwara claimed that the officer had not been transferred, but had only been sent on official duty. “It happens in the administrative and official setup,” he said. The opposition BJP has alleged that the shunting of the officer would harm the morale of the police force in the state.