Karnataka Lokayukta Repatriates IPS Officer Shivaprakash Devaraju to State Government

The Karnataka Lokayukta, in an administrative reshuffle announced on Friday, has repatriated Indian Police Service (IPS) officer S.P. Shivaprakash Devaraju to the State government services. The order, issued by the Lokayukta secretariat, directs Devaraju to hand over charge of his current post as Bengaluru City-1 Superintendent of Police, along with the additional charge of Bengaluru City-2 Superintendent of Police, to another officer.

According to the official notification, Mahanteshwara S. Jiddi, currently serving as Superintendent of Police for the Karnataka Lokayukta in Bengaluru Rural, will assume additional charge of both positions until further orders. Jiddi will continue to hold his existing post while taking on these new responsibilities.

The repatriation of Devaraju comes as part of routine administrative adjustments within the Lokayukta, an anti-corruption watchdog body in the state. Such transfers are common in government machinery and are not indicative of any disciplinary action. The Lokayukta, headed by a retired High Court judge, investigates allegations of corruption against public officials in Karnataka.

Devaraju, an IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre, had been serving in the Lokayukta for an unspecified period. His return to the state government's pool of officers aligns with standard rotation policies. The exact reasons for the reshuffle were not disclosed by the Lokayukta, but administrative efficiency and periodic reassignments are typical.

This move ensures continuity in oversight as Mahanteshwara S. Jiddi steps in to manage the Bengaluru urban units. The Lokayukta's Bengaluru City-1 and City-2 divisions oversee corruption probes in the capital region, making these roles critical for maintaining integrity in public administration.