Mangaluru: Western Range is most challenging', says new IGP Chakravarthy

Mangaluru, May 30: Promising to make policing people-friendly, 1995 batch IPS officer Jeji Arun Chakravarthy took charge as the new Inspector General of Police of Western Range of Karnataka state police on Monday.

Mangaluru city police commissioner M Chandra Sekhar, who as the in-charge IGP after the transfer of Amrit Paul to Central Range, formally handed over the Mr Chakravarthy at the latter's new office in the city.

Speaking to media persons on the occasion, Mr Chakravarthy, who was the IGP of Central Range before this posting, called the Western Range, which consists of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Chikkamagalur districts, a challenging region.

"Almost all challenges that police officers can visualize is present in the range," he said adding professionally the posting is a good assignment. Arun incidentally has worked as a probationer here attached to the office of superintendent of police.

With his earlier stint as superintendent of police in Raichur and Shivamogga districts, the IGP said the issue of Left winged extremism is not something new to him.

"Raichur borders Mahabubnagar and Kurnool districts in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states respectively, which have its share of naxalite problem and even parts of Shivamogga too," Chakravarthy said adding he will get a perspective on where things stand as far as naxal menace in the state is concerned.

A topper in Sociology from Bangalore University, Chakravarthy born in Chitradurga was selected as customs inspector in 1990, before he joined the IPS five years later. He has worked as SP in Chitradurga district, was deputed to UNO for peace keeping operations in Eastern Europe, as SP in Vijayapura.

As DIG, he worked as director of BMTC, directorate of civil rights enforcement cell, and in the Lokayukta too where he continued on his promotion as IGP as well.