IPS officers Hemant Nimbalkar and D. Roopa, who have been at loggerheads trading allegations over the Safe City Project tender, have been transferred.
According to a State government notification on Thursday, Mr. Nimbalkar, Inspector General of Police and Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration), Bengaluru, has been transferred as Inspector General of Police, Internal Security Division, Bengaluru. Ms. Roopa, Inspector General of Police and Secretary to government, Home Department, has been appointed as Managing Director, Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd., Bengaluru.
As the public spat between the two officers blew into a raging controversy over the last few days, sources in the State government had hinted that their transfer out of their present posts was likely to avoid further controversies and ensure that the Safe City Project tender was not affected due to it.
It all began when Mr. Nimbalkar, Additional Commissioner (Administration), BCP, and member secretary of the State-level Apex Committee monitoring the Safe City Project, wrote to the Chief Secretary seeking an inquiry against an IPS officer for trying to procure classified information of a tender much before it was published without authorisation. Mr. Nimbalkar’s letter also alleged the officer impersonated the Home Secretary. The State government instituted a probe into the matter.
Ms. Roopa then accepted that she did make a call to the Project Management Consultant (PMC) for the Safe City Project tender, but claimed to be a “whistleblower” who was “studying” the tender file and found “serious irregularities in tender drafting”.
Mr. Nimbalkar then held a press conference on Sunday, rebutting the allegations and said attempts were being made to cast aspersions on the tender process.
