Cop transfers: Siddaramaiah tries to please all

Bengaluru: Responding to pleas by Congress legislators to reconsider the transfer of police officers, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held one-on-one meetings with some ministers and MLAs here on Saturday. Worried about losing control over their constituencies to police and government officers who do not owe allegiance to them, MLAs pleaded with Siddaramaiah that officers, in particular, police inspectors of their choice be posted in their Assembly segments. Most of them had opposed a transfer list drawn up by the Police Establishment Board (PEB), headed by the director general & inspector general of police, on Friday. Sources in Congress said the legislators were disappointed as inspectors belonging to a particular community were posted to 20-25 crucial police stations in their constituencies in the garb of social justice. Such a move was considered impractical by legislators, the sour ces added.