HD Kumaraswamy chooses Annamalai as DCP to catch gamblers

BENGALURU: In a political move, the HD Kumaraswamy-led government on Monday appointed Annamalai A kuppuswamy as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) in Bengaluru. Annamalai was the Superintendent of Police in Chikkamagaluru.The move comes in the backdrop of the government ensuring strict action against the money mafia running ‘metre baddi’ (exorbitant interest levied on daily basis) rackets and gambling dens in Bangalore. 

Annamalai’s transfer comes exactly a month after another tough cop, Alok Kumar, was posted as the Additional Commissioner of Police (crime), Bengaluru.“The government wants to send out a strong message that it’s serious about making Bengaluru safe and the latest transfers are part of it,” an official in the chief minister’s office said. 

Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad, an IPS officer of 2012 batch, will replace him. It also removed R Hitendra from the post of additional commissioner of police (traffic) and appointed 1996-batch officer Harishekharan. Annamalai, who hit the headlines after his troubles down on gambling and matka dens of Chikkamagaluru, is expected to be the government’s lynchpin in curbing the gambling rackets in bangalore. After alleging that BJP leaders had joined hands with the gambling mafia to topple his government, Kumaraswamy brought in Alok Kumar, who was the inspector general of police (north division), Belagavi, on September 16. Sources said Annamalai will join the Alok Kumar-led team to take on the gambling dons with politicians.

Incidentally, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa had posted Annamalai as Ramanagara SP soon after he took over as the chief minister in May, at a time when the JD(S) had put up its legislators at a resort in the district amid political momentum over the government formation. The police transfers, however, were annulled, as the Yeddyurappa government lasted only for a few hours.