Confusion prevailed on Sunday over the mid-career training of city police commissioner A.K. Khan and the appointment of Greyhounds’ additional DG Anurag Sharma as in-charge commissioner as the Chief Minister’s Office said that he was not going anywhere.
Mr Khan was scheduled to leave for training, which included a trip to Scotland Yard, England, on Monday and the DGP’s office had informed the media about the in-charge arrangement. In fact, Mr Sharma also accompanied DGP Dinesh Reddy to the troubled Old City on Sunday.
Apparently, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy was kept in the dark about the developments relating to Mr Khan’s training as well as the arrangements regarding his temporary replacement. CMO sources said that though a file seeking permission for Mr Khan’s trip to Scotland Yard was circulated to the CM, he was yet to take a decision. “We have not yet granted permission,” a source close to the CM pointed out, adding that the CMO was also unaware of the in-charge arrangements.
The issue came to light on Sunday in the backdrop of communal clashes in parts of the state capital. Mr Khan monitored the situation and visited the troubled areas. The CMO also brushed aside media queries on whether Mr Khan would be asked to cancel training and stay back due to the on-going tensions. A senior official maintained that the question did not arise as the officer was not going for training in the first place. The appointment of an in-charge commissioner came at a time when hectic lobbying was going on to replace Mr Khan.