Former Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao opts for voluntary retirement , may contest next polls .

Milind Dharmasena 

Bengaluru: Similar to the decision taken by his former IPS colleagues  opting for voluntary retirement  ahead of polls, Karnataka’s top cop Bhaskar Rao has applied for voluntary retirement from service. 

Rao, who is currently posted as Additional Director-General of Police ( Railways) confirmed to the media that he has applied for voluntary retirement. He has still three  years of  service.

Speculation is Rao may enter politics and contest  a assembly seat from Basavanagudi constituency in 2023. He has done a lot of social service for the needy during Covid crisis .The reason for Rao seeking  voluntary retirement  is said to his unhappiness with the state government treating him. He has filed a petition in the Karnataka  high court challenging the City  Crime Branch’s decision to  close  the case in the leak of audio tapes to the media.

In 2008, IPS officer Subhash Bharani, who had 14 years of service and another IPS promotee K C Ramamurthy with  three years of service had taken voluntary retirement  to enter politics. K C Ramamurthy is a Rajya Sabha member from BJP party now