As a fallout of the alleged rape of a six-year-old student in a private school and other rape cases in the city, the Karnataka government Monday transferred Bangalore police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar and Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Kamal Pant.
In a damage-control exercise, the government appointed Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) M.N. Reddi as the new police commissioner with immediate effect.
Auradkar faced public wrath over the handling of the rape cases, including that of a 22-year-old college student and a 17-year-old seminary student in the city in the last 10 days leading to angry protests and demonstrations.
The official order was issued on a day when the city witnessed a series of protests by hundreds of students, social activists and women's organisations against rising crimes against women and girls in Bangalore and across the state.
"Inspector General of Police (Grievances and Rights) Alok Kumar has been posted as the city's new additional commissioner of police (law and order)," the government said in a notification.
Auradkar was posted as additional director general of police of the Karnataka State Reserve Police.
Pant will take charge of the post Alok Kumar held.
Additional Director General of Police (Communications, Logistics and Modernization) H.C. Kishore Chandra has also been transferred to the post Reddi held - additional director general of police (law and order).
Taking charge of the new posting, Reddi told reporters that apart from traditional ways of policing, he would go on a major outreach programme to get information from the people and involve them for preventing crimes on women and to maintain law and order across the city.
Meanwhile, police Monday produced accused Musthafa alias Munna, the school's skating instructor who was arrested Sunday on the charge of sexually assaulting the minor, at a local court for a 14-day judicial remand.
"Though the court sent the 30-year-old accused to 14 days' judicial custody, we have moved an application in the same court seeking his custody for further interrogation and investigation in the case," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south-east) P.D. Pawar told IANS here.
Musthafa's parents, however, denied the involvement of their son in the crime and claimed he was innocent.
"We don't know anything about the incident. We can categorically say that our son is innocent and would not have committed such a crime," Murthaza and Rukhsana told reporters here.
Asserting that their son was a devout Muslim, performing namaz (prayers) five times a day and a family man with a wife and a five-year-old daughter, the parents said they were not aware of any of his activities in the school or outside.
"We don't know that his mobile and laptop had pornographic videos of children being raped. And if he has committed the crime, then he should be punished. But as their parents, we know that he cannot do such a thing (raping a minor in school)," Murthaza reiterated.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told lawmakers in the state assembly that the Goonda Act would be invoked against Musthafa, as he was allegedly involved in similar crimes in other schools where he was employed in the past.
"The Goonda Act would be amended soon and invoked on Musthafa for raping the girl in Vibgyor High School because he was also involved in such cases in previous schools where he was employed," Siddaramaiah said.
The state government also plans to increase the number of fast-track courts to expedite cases and give speedy justice to the victims and their relatives.
