Keeping its pressure on the Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu, the Centre is likely to shortly issue a fresh directive to the state government to relieve for postings in the cabinet secretariat three police officers allegedly responsible for the ill treatment of former chief minister K Karunanidhi and two union ministers in June end during their arrest. Official sources said here tonight that the Centre took into consideration the Jayalalithaa government's position that the three IPS officers were carrying out important work and that the decision to transfer them in effect should be reconsidered. The IPS officers are -- Chennai police commissioner K Muthukaruppan, joint commissioner S George and deputy commissioner Christopher Nelson. The services of former director general of police R Rajagopalan, who has been posted as national security guards director general, have also been sought by the Centre which have still not been conceded by the state government.
The Centre apparently has relied on the ultimate over- ruling powers vested with it under the police service rules, 1954 which says that a cadre officer may with the concurrence of the state government and the central government be deputed for service with the Centre or another state. Bureau Report