Mangaluru: Police families allege Commissioner not relieving personnel despite transfer orders

Mangaluru: Police families allege Commissioner not relieving personnel despite transfer orders

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Apr 22, 2026: Families of police personnel who have received transfer orders have alleged that the City Police Commissioner has not relieved them from duty despite the orders being issued nearly three months ago.

The family members met State Director General of Police (DGP) Dr. M.A. Saleem, who had arrived for a meeting of Western Range police officers on Tuesday, and expressed strong dissatisfaction. They also submitted a complaint seeking appropriate action.

They stated that although transfer orders were issued three months ago, the personnel have still not been relieved. They urged the DGP to implement the transfers at the earliest.

According to them, many police personnel who have completed around 10 years of service have received transfer orders, but the Commissioner has not processed them, citing reasons such as communal tensions and staff shortage.

The families also highlighted personal difficulties, including health issues, the need to care for elderly family members in their hometowns, and disruptions to their children’s school and college admissions. They demanded justice and warned that they would be compelled to stage a protest if their grievances are not addressed.

Responding to the issue, Dr. Saleem said that many police personnel and their families, especially from North Karnataka, have submitted requests seeking transfers. The matter has been discussed in detail during a progress review meeting, and necessary steps will be taken in phases to implement the transfers, he assured.

Government rules hinder relieving of transferred constables: Commissioner

Clarifying the situation, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said that the department has a sanctioned strength of 801 personnel, but currently only 685 are in service, leaving 116 constable posts (14.4%) vacant.

If 63 transferred civil police constables are relieved, the vacancy rate would rise to 22.1%, exceeding the permissible 15% limit under government rules. Hence, it is not possible to relieve them at present, he explained.

In a statement to the media on Tuesday, the Commissioner said that the public expects police to manage traffic, maintain law and order, handle bandobast duties, prevent and detect crime, conduct investigations, and hold beat meetings. With public cooperation, the city is currently peaceful, he added.

He also noted that some personnel have even foregone promotions to secure inter-district transfers. While acknowledging the concerns of constables and their families, he said the department must balance their welfare with the responsibility of maintaining law and order in the city. He further clarified that during his tenure, he has not rejected any constable’s earned leave (EL) application.