Mangaluru : In an recent developments the state government has cancelled the appointment of DIG N Satheesh Kumar as police commissioner of Mangaluru and appointed T R Suresh, DIG, Fire Services instead. The government on Thursday had appointed Satheesh to replace M Chandra Sekhar, IGP, who has been transferred to CID and Economic Offenses Wing in Bengaluru.

The move to cancel Satheesh’s appointment was in the air from the moment the orders were issued. The local Congress leaders were piqued at his appointment for they held the officer, who had earlier served as SP of Dakshina Kannada, for the church attacks and their perceived failure of police to deal with Hindu chauvinist organisations, who unleashed a spate of attacks on Christian religious institutions across the coastal districts.

A senior serving officer, on condition of anonymity said such flip flops in appointments only goes to demoralise the rank and file of the police department. “How can the government hold one officer singularly responsible for what had happened during his earlier stint,” the officer said, adding this is the sole reason that many senior police officers are wary and reluctant to accept a posting in this part of the state. “Most see it is a punishment,” the officer said.

The city police and DK district police units have their task cut out in dealing with communal tensions, dealing with organised and underworld crime and face constant interference in work from political parties. Barring Seemanth Kumar Singh to a large extent and Chandra Sekhar to a lesser extent, none of the earlier police commissioner served in the commissionerate for more than a year and this explains the sordid state of affairs in city policing, the officer said.