KPSC SIT officer moved to Chitradurga SP post within two days

The transfer came two days after the High Court issued its order on September 21 constituting the SIT under the leadership of senior IPS officer and DGP Alok Kumar.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has transferred IPS officer Kushal Chouksey to Chitradurga and appointed him as the district Superintendent of Police, shortly after the Karnataka High Court included him in the Special Investigation Team probing alleged irregularities in the KPSC veterinary officer recruitment.

Chouksey’s transfer came two days after the High Court issued its order on September 21 constituting the SIT under the leadership of senior IPS officer and DGP Alok Kumar. The timing of the government order has generated interest because Chouksey had been assigned as one of the investigating officers in the court-directed team.

The vacancy in the Chitradurga SP post arose following the transfer of Ranjith Kumar. The government has now filled the position by posting Chouksey, who was earlier working as DCP in the Bengaluru City Administration division.

The officer’s latest transfer is his second posting change in less than a month. During the August 29 reshuffle of senior police officers, Chouksey was moved from his position as Chikkaballapur SP and appointed DCP of the Bengaluru City Administration division.

He had consequently spent only a short period in the Bengaluru assignment before being shifted again. The latest order also comes soon after the High Court gave him responsibility in the KPSC recruitment investigation.

The High Court’s decision to constitute the SIT followed allegations of irregularities in the selection of veterinary officers through KPSC. The court directed that the probe be headed by Alok Kumar and fixed a 100-day period for completion of the investigation. Chouksey was among the five IPS officers included in the team.

The court’s order gave the new team responsibility for examining the allegations and investigating the circumstances surrounding the recruitment process. The case has attracted considerable attention because of allegations that the recruitment process was compromised.

The government’s decision to move Chouksey does not, in itself, establish any connection between his transfer and the KPSC investigation. The official order appointing him as Chitradurga SP does not cite the SIT case as a reason for the transfer.

The development assumes significance, however, because the transfer was issued soon after the High Court’s order. It also comes at a time when the state government has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the High Court’s direction for an SIT probe.

The Karnataka government has approved a proposal to file a Special Leave Petition challenging the High Court’s order. The Law Department and prosecution authorities have been involved in the process of initiating the legal challenge.

The High Court had rejected the request for a CBI investigation and instead opted for an SIT headed by a senior state police officer. The team was expected to take forward the investigation and submit its findings within the period specified by the court.

With Chouksey now posted as Chitradurga SP, the government may have to make adjustments to the SIT’s composition if he is no longer available to continue with the investigation. The next developments will depend on the government’s legal challenge and further directions from the court.

Meanwhile, Chouksey’s transfer has added another twist to the ongoing KPSC recruitment controversy. From Chikkaballapur SP to Bengaluru DCP and now Chitradurga SP, the officer has been moved between three important assignments within a short span, with his latest posting coming immediately after his inclusion in the court-appointed investigation team.