Southern States
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Tamil Nadu-Chennai
``Muthukaruppan's handling of law and order not satisfactory''
By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau
CHENNAI, DEC. 9. The Chennai Police Commissioner, Mr. K. Muthukaruppan, whom the Tamil Nadu Government had refused to relieve on Central deputation, was today transferred to the relatively insignificant post of Inspector-General, Armed Police, Tiruchi.
Although the State Government, in its communication with the Centre on the deputation issue, had insisted that Mr. Muthukaruppan's services were crucial as Chennai Police Commissioner, a Tamil Nadu Government source said his ``general handling of law and order was not satisfactory.'' The lathicharge on the students of the Ambedkar Law College on Saturday possibly hastened the transfer. Another source in the administration said Mr. Muthukaruppan's handling of a couple of cases, including the one against a hotel chain proprietor, resulted in his falling out of favour with the chief of the ruling AIADMK, Ms. Jayalalithaa. On Saturday, Mr. Muthukaruppan was summoned to her Poes Garden residence.
Mr. Muthukaruppan courted controversy right from the time he was appointed the Chennai Police Commissioner. He was targeted by the DMK for his handling of the arrest of its president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi. There were also allegations that he had foisted `heroin cases' at the instance of his political bosses.
Mr. K. Vijay Kumar, Additional Director-General of Police, assisting Mr. W.I. Dawaram in the hunt for the bandit, Veerappan, is the replacement. Mr. Vijaya Kumar, a former BSF Inspector-General and an officer much senior to Mr. Muthukaruppan, was transferred back to the State cadre on a specific request from the AIADMK Government. He headed the SSG, in-charge of Ms. Jayalalithaa's personal security, from 1991-96 and is considered close to the establishment.
Officials maintained that there would be no slackening in the STF operations since the new incumbent, Mr. R. Natraj, is familiar with the forest terrain since he was DIG, Vellore. Mr. Natraj, an IG rank officer, is now Additional Director, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.
Mr. D. Radhakrishnan, who headed the armed police set-up in Tiruchi, has now been moved to the post of IG, Coastal Security, Chennai.
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