Has addl CP KMM Prasanna fallen from top cop's grace?

The city police department is witnessing an ugly tussle between senior IPS officers - it appears that Additional Commissioner of Police K M M Prasanna is facing the full wrath of Commissioner of Police D D Padsalgikar, who has curtailed his powers.

The dramatic development is reportedly over the petty issue of a cabin for officers of the joint commissioner of police (crime) rank and those of the additional commissioner of police (crime) rank.

Wings clipped
A senior IPS officer confirmed that the two detection DCPs - detection and detection-1 and enforcement - will no longer report to Prasanna, but to Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Sanjay Saxena. And Prasanna has been tasked with looking after the administrative work of the crime branch.

Sources said the moves came about after a meeting on July 22 called by Padsalgikar with the additional CPs.

While no officer confirmed this, sources said there was a talk over the office from which Prasanna operates - the fact that it was too huge for an officer of the additional CP rank and should be given to a joint CP. Prasanna recently shifted to a new office on the same floor.

Murmurs within
Even as the two developments have shocked many in the department, a senior IPS officer has denied that the moves are the outcome of any internal review or inquiry.

"There's no curtailment of powers. We are simply reverting to the old system… Additional CP (crime) is a crucial post and has a very important role to play in the crime branch. There has been no internal inquiry, neither has any other internal action been taken," the officer added.

Earlier, after joint CP (crime), DCP (detection) was the executive post in crime branch, but after IPS officer Deven Bharti was elevated from DCP (detection) to additional CP (crime), the post was given more powers. Now, as per Padsalgikar's decision, the department is going back to the old system.

Repeated attempts to reach Prasanna went unanswered.