Poll-related transfers bring new faces among Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors to Madurai City

Almost all the Inspectors of Police who were serving in Madurai City Police have been transferred out of Madurai district complying with the instructions of Election Commission.

Most of the around 60 Inspectors posted in the city from other districts are new to Madurai.

Six officials in the rank of Assistant Commissioner and 85 Sub-Inspectors have been transferred as Election Commission has stipulated that no officer who had put in more than three years of service in a particular district should not be allowed to continue in the same district during the Assembly election.

Similarly, none of them should be deployed in their native district during the polls.

“Besides these two criteria, the third instruction is that the police officers should not have served in the same district during the 2021 Assembly election has virtually brought in new faces to the city,” a police source said.

Almost all the Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors posted to police stations for law and order, crime, special wings and traffic are aware of the topography of their jurisdiction. “It would take at least three months for any officer to know thoroughly the topography and the major/minor problems in each area//region,” the officer said.

For the police officers who have come for the first time to the city even the names of the streets in the city sounds strange for them, let alone they know their location.

Though this might sound as a demerit for the working of the police system, this is what the Election Commission wanted to implement.

Their idea is that these police officers, who would play a major role in conduct of smooth and fair election, should not have any familiarity with the politically influential local people.

However, a section of the police were wondering in what way a Traffic Inspector or Sub-Inspector could influence the electioneering process.

Officials say there could be some more fine-tuning by the Election Commission on the criteria for transfer of officers directly involved in election process. The transfers that began in January is likely to continue in the days to come.