Hyderabad: V Satyanarayana, IPS, police commissioner Ramagundam has been given the full additional charge (FAC) of communally sensitive South Zone of Hyderabad city.
Avinash Mohanty, IPS, Joint Commissioner of police Detective Department, was holding the charge of old city for few months but he has been suddenly relieved of his additional responsibility.
In view of the ongoing protests against CAA and NRC in twin cities, the sudden change in south zone has surprised many.
Satyanarayana, who is also known as ‘Singham’ in old city circles, has earlier served as DCP South zone for more than three years.
After the deputation of the then DCP south zone Ambar Kishor Jha to Union Home Ministry in Delhi, the post of south zone DCP was lying vacant for more than six months. In the meantime, Mohanty who is of the rank of Joint Commissioner and heading the CCS was given the full additional charge of South Zone.
Since this zone in known for being communally sensitive in Hyderabad, DIG rank officer Avinash Mohanty, who is also the Joint Commissioner of police CCS was given the full additional charge. He, like his father A K Mohanty, retired DG of the combined state AP and Telangana, enjoys the reputation of an upright officer. “He believes in calling a spade a spade,” source in the police department said and added that this might have been his disadvantage in serving as the in-charge of South Zone.
The senior Mohanty is advisor to the Governor of Telangana.
Return of Satyanarayana in the same post who had already completed his three-year term in the Old City last year has raised many a eye brow. “Doesn’t the City Police have any other officer who can tackle the ‘sensitivities’ in the Old City? In the past few months he was recalled to serve in the Old City for small stints reportedly to tackle eruption of communal issues. Now, he is back as full in-charge. The undisclosed alignments within the city police force are leaving many officers with heart burns. Was he brought in purely for administrative requirements or under pressure from certain quarters?” sources wondered.