Mysore/Mysuru: Former MP Prathap Simha has alleged that the decline in law and order and the rise in criminal activity in Mysuru are largely due to Police officers prioritising payments to elected representatives for postings, rather than focusing on their duties.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning on the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raids at Hebbal yesterday, Simha recalled that the City Police had previously solved several high-profile cases, including a gang rape, a jewellery shop robbery and murder in Vidyaranyapuram.

He claimed that officers are now forced to pay lakhs of rupees to legislators for transfers to preferred Police Stations. “The payment secures the posting only for one year. If an officer wishes to continue, they must pay again,” he said, adding that this system naturally shifts officers’ focus from law enforcement to raising money.

Simha also noted that during the tenure of former Home Minister Dr. V.S. Acharya, the Police Establishment Board was revived following Supreme Court directives. Transfers were then conducted transparently through counselling, without financial transactions, enabling officers to perform their duties more effectively.

He urged that re-establishing the Police Establishment Board and implementing a transparent transfer policy are essential to improving the Police system.