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The state government transferred Sam Varghese from his position as Superintendent of Police in the Criminal Investigation Department in Bengaluru to the Mangaluru Police Commissionerate, according to The Hindu. Varghese will take over the law and order portfolio with immediate effect following the order issued on Monday. The decision forms part of a broader reshuffle involving four IPS officers in key roles across Bengaluru and Mangaluru.
Sam Varghese is a native of Kottayam in Kerala and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree, a report by Indian Masterminds stated. The 36-year-old officer joined the Indian Police Service in 2022 and initially served as Assistant Superintendent of Police in the Channagiri subdivision of Davanagere district. He later moved to the Criminal Investigation Department in the state capital before the latest transfer.
The position of Deputy Commissioner of Police for Law and Order in Mangaluru had been vacant since August 29 when the government shifted H N Mithun to Superintendent of Police in Gadag, The Hindu reported. In the interim, K Ravi Shankar, who holds the crime portfolio, managed additional charge of the law and order responsibilities. Varghese’s posting fills this gap in the coastal city’s police leadership structure.
As part of the same order, the government moved Anita B Haddannavar from her role as Deputy Commissioner of Police in South West Bengaluru to Superintendent of Police in the CID, according to Deccan Chronicle. Lakshmi Ganesh K, who was awaiting a posting, received the South West Bengaluru DCP position. Ram L Arasiddi was assigned as Deputy Commissioner of Police for Intelligence in Bengaluru City.
The reshuffle reflects ongoing adjustments within the Karnataka Police to ensure operational continuity in both urban and district-level assignments. Mangaluru, a major commercial and educational hub in Dakshina Kannada, relies on the commissionerate for maintaining public order amid its diverse population and seasonal tourist influx. Official records from the Mangaluru City Police outline a structured hierarchy under the commissioner with dedicated deputy commissioners for law and order, crime and traffic.
Varghese’s career trajectory includes progressive field and investigative roles since his induction into the service, Indian Masterminds figures show. The appointment comes weeks after the previous change in the Mangaluru leadership and aligns with the state’s practice of periodic IPS rotations. No further details on the officer’s immediate priorities in the new role were disclosed in the transfer order.
