Race for Karnataka’s Top Cop: Who Will be the Next DG&IGP?

With the appointment of Praveen Sood as the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Karnataka government is now tasked with selecting his successor as the state head of police. However, the process of creating a list of eligible IPS officers for the post of director general and inspector general of police (DG&IGP) awaits the new government to take charge.

Sood’s appointment as CBI director came just a day after the Congress party won a clear mandate to form the government in Karnataka. However, it’s worth noting that the Congress party’s state chief DK Shivakumar had previously criticized Sood and demanded his transfer, claiming that he was a pro-BJP officer. Shivakumar had even warned of stringent action against Sood after the party comes to power, citing the officer’s alleged bias in registering cases against Congress functionaries but not BJP members.

With Sood set to leave his position, the state government must now prepare a list of senior-most eligible IPS officers for the post of DG&IGP in Karnataka. This list will include three to five officers, which will then be sent to the Union government for approval, with the final selection being made by the state.

According to the state’s seniority list for IPS officers, Alok Mohan, a 1987 batch IPS officer and the current DGP for Home Guards, is in the top spot. However, Mohan is set to superannuate in April 2025. The next in seniority is P Ravindranath, a 1989 batch IPS officer who is currently serving as DGP (training) and will be retiring from service in September this year. This means that if he is selected, he will only serve for five months as DG&IGP.

Other potential candidates include former Bengaluru city police commissioner and DGP (recruitment) Kamal Pant, who will retire from service in June 2024, and Bengaluru city police commissioner CH Pratap Reddy, who was promoted to DGP in January this year.

As the new government takes charge, all eyes will be on who they select to fill the crucial role of state head of police, especially in light of the controversy surrounding Praveen Sood’s tenure.