Patna, (Bihar Times): The virtual overhaul of Bihar police top brass on Tuesday evening was just an attempt to bring to an end the two-and-a-half years old caste-cum-cotorie war in the police headquarters.

Rarely does any state government transfers so many such top officials in one go––from DG Ashish Ranjan Sinha to the powerful ADG (Headquarters) Abhayanand of Super 30 fame and brain behind the speedy trial drive. Besides, 16 other officers, including seven ADGs and rest above the ranks of IG have been shifted from their posts.

The chief minister appeared to have been fed up with the ‘letter-war’ and exchange of slanderous allegations on each other by the top officials. In one such incident last December a top ranking officer even threatened to spill the beans and expose all those involved in the nasty game, which also include allegation of sexploitation.

With law and order situation further worsening Nitish Kumar first transferred 67 IAS officials to be followed by 31 IPS officers of the middle-rung. Now the much awaited top brass needed to be revamped as some of these officers have become too big for their boots and deserved to be cut to size.

While Ashish Ranjan Sinha, like the recently transferred Patna SSP, Kundan Krishnan, belong to Kurmi, the caste of Nitish Kumar, Abhayanand, represented the powerful Bhumihar-lobby in the state police headquarters. While the first two hailed from Nalanda, the chief minister’s home district, the latter come from a village near Cherki in Gaya.

The state government was virtually forced to shunt both and chose a Maithil Brahmin, Shiv Chandra Jha, as the new DGP. If Ashish Ranjan Sinha swapped his position with Jha, who was DGP (Home Guards-cum-Commandant Fire Services) Abhayanand was transferred from ADG (Headquarters) to ADG (BMP). But all these arrangements seem to be temporary and another big change is possible because Jha is to retire on July 31, 2008.

ADG (Police Modernisation) D N Gautam, has replaced ADG Abhayanand in the Headquarters. His name also figured prominently in the ‘letter-war’.

Incidentally Sinha’s daughter is marred to Rameshwar Oraon’s son. Oraon, also a retired IPS officer from Jharkhand, was last week inducted as minister of state in the Manmohan Singh cabinet. He is a Congress Party MP.

The state government also shifted the Bihar State Police Building Construction Corporation ADG Anand Shankar, who has been appointed as ADG (Vigilance), Bihar State Electricity Board. His name was also tarnished by that secret ‘letter-war’.

The present BMP ADG Shafi Alam has been made ADG, Police Training while ADG CID (Weaker Sections) Ashok K Gupta has replaced Anand Shankar in the Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation. ADG (Training) C Lima Imachen has been made ADG, Technical Services and Communications.

Homeguards and Fire Services ADG R R Verma has been shifted to the Bihar State Crime Records Bureau in the same capacity.

ADG, Technical Services and Communications, A C Verma has been made ADG Darbhanga Zone. Patna Zone IG Rajvardhan Sharma has been appointed IG, Headquarters and Administration while IG (provisions) Sunit Kumar has been made IG BMP.

A K Seth, IG, BMP has been appointed as IG, anti-dacoity and CID. IG, Headquarters Ravindra Kumar has been made IG, Provisions and Budget.

Bihar State Crime Records Bureau IG Girijanandan Sharma has been appointed IG, Home Guards and Fire Services.

Three DIGs have been promoted to the rank of IG. DIG, Central Range, Sunil Kumar has replaced Sharma as IG, Patna Zone. Gupteshwar Pandey, DIG, Security (Special Branch), has become IG in the same department. DIG (Administration) Shatrughna Prasad Singh too has been promoted and made IG, Weaker Sections (CID).

The shake-up at the top echelon of the police is, in a way, acknowledgement of the fact by that the state government that it is not so easy to bring about the change in the mind-set and functioning of men in khaki as well as bureaucrats. After all most of those shunted on Tuesday were hand-picked by the chief minister himself and much hope was pinned on them. They seriously let down the state.