A video of a police constable raising his voice against what he says harassment by a higher official in the form of pre-mature transfer went viral on Sunday.
In the five-minute video clip, constable Chandrakanth attached to Farhatabad Police Station in Kalaburagi district goes on to express discontentment over higher officers harassing low-ranking staff in the Police Department in general.
At a point, he says that Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Kalaburagi, Sudha Adi recommended pre-mature transfer of six constables.
“As per norms, constables should not be transferred before they completed a minimum of six years in a police station. However, in the 2023 general transfers made about six months ago, [Ms.] Sudha Adi got six constables, including me, of the Kalaburagi Commissionerate transferred to different places, though we are not facing any charge,” he said.
“Assistant Sub-Inspector Umakanth was also transferred making him unable to attend to his ailing mother and sister. Owing to work pressure in the new place, he could not give time to the family. His sister died a few days ago,” he said and added that the hands that saluted higher officers are cursing them now.
Mr. Chandrakanth also said that Ms. Sudha Adi got him transferred twice in the last three years.
“I was upset with this. During brushing my teeth in the morning, I accidentally put sanitiser in my mouth instead of mouthwash liquid. To be on the safer side, I got admitted to a hospital. It was wrongly projected that I had made an attempt to commit suicide,” he said.
“I am an MA graduate and I am not a coward to end my life. I had missed a chance to become a Police Sub-inspector by a margin of just one-and-a-half mark. Staff is the backbone of the Police Department. By harassing us like this, you are breaking the backbone,” he said, recalling the incident that happened six months ago.
Addressing Ms. Sudha Adi, he said: “You can get me suspended and transferred using your powers. But there is a God above all. If he starts transferring us, there will be none on this earth, including you and I. The Police Commissioner has promised to reverse our transfers.”
Responding to the video, Police Commissioner Chetan R. warned of stringent action against those staff who go public with their grievances instead of approaching their higher officers.
“If anybody has any grievance against any higher officer, they can approach me. I will look into it. If anybody, instead of doing it, resorts to making videos and posting them on social media, we will take action against him,” Mr. Chetan told The Hindu.
