DIG Roopa's transfer row: Kiran Bedi and others come out in support

Roopa said that Sasikala availed VIP treatment in the Parappana Agrahara Central prison

The Karnataka government on Monday transferred DIG (Prisons) D Roopa from prisons department to the post of DIG, Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety. The transfer came days after DIG Roopa exposed the VIP treatment given to AIADMK chief and convict VK Sasikala in Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. This transfer has led to a huge controversy and reactions are coming from all corners.

The state government also transferred Director General of Police (Prisons) H N Satyanarayana Rao without a fresh posting, as he is set to retire this month-end against whom Roopa had made the allegations.

Rao had accused Roopa of  insubordination. "I have served a memo to her (Roopa) seeking explanation and evidence to prove her wild allegations. She has not given any report to me or the government against me or other jail officials," he said.

Condemning the transfer of Roopa D Moudgil, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on said instead of protecting the officer, the Karnataka government has chosen to protect the culprit. According to a report of ANI, BJP leader S Prakash said in Karnataka, the whistleblowers are the only target and victim of the Siddaramaiah government. 

The sudden transfer has sparked outrage in the city jail too with a section of inmates staging a protest against the government move and demanding it to be revoked.

Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) also criticised the officer's transfer and accused state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of protecting criminals and high-profile convicts like Sasikala in the jail.
 

Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi condemned the decision of Karnataka government to transfer Roopa. In a video posted on her official Facebook page, Kiran Bedi described the transfer as ‘highly unacceptable and said, “I find this a little out of place for Roopa’s transfer because this was not the time for transfer but this was the time to get to the bottom of the problem. I find this very, very unacceptable because this is reflective of the system. You wanted to hide further exposure. It’s truly out of place.”
 

“However, the only option that Roopa now has is to take up the next assignment with the same kind of courage and conviction and go on regardless”, she further added.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Director General of Police, R K Dutta said that former DIG (Prisons) D Roopa has been allotted a responsible position and it is not a punishment posting.

"She (D. Roopa) has been given an important, that is a responsible position of road safety. She has to reduce the road accidents. All postings are equally important. It is not at all a punishment posting,"  Dutta said.
 

According to a report of IANS, Roopa said that the government has the right to transfer officers and followed the orders accordingly. “ I am thankful to Madam Kiran Bedi as the support from her is invaluable to me," she further added.
 

Roopa grabbed headlines when she, in a report, said that V K Sasikala availed VIP treatment in the Parappana Agrahara Central prison by bribing jail officials. Roopa asserted that a bribe worth Rs 2 crore was given to the prison officials by Sasikala, including Satyanarayana Rao, in order to avail special facilities.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured that strict action would be taken against the guilty while taking cognizance of allegations of irregularities in the Bengaluru central prison. Siddaramaiah said he has ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter.

 

Twitter also slammed Karnataka government’s decision. Here are the reactions: