Pune rural SP Sandeep Karnik in the eye of the storm

His detractors, especially a section of the politicians of the saffron alliance, from Maval taluka describe him as arrogant.

However, his subordinates in the Pune rural police find him extremely friendly, accessible and polite. Meet the 36-year-old Pune rural superintendent of police, Sandeep Karnik, presently in the eye of the storm, following the firing incident at Maval taluka that killed three farmers, including a woman.

Son-in-law of the present state director general of police, Ajit Parasnis, Karnik perhaps never visualised that the bandh called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena and the Republican Party of India and supported by farmers in Maval taluka would go out of hand to such an extent that it was discussed in parliament and state assembly.

An electronic engineer from University of Mumbai, Karnik who hails from Mumbai, had spurned job offers from abroad and joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 2004. Before coming to Pune, he served in Ahmednagar, Thane, Nagpur, Jalna and Nanded in different capacities. He has a four-year-old daughter.

According to some farmers and leaders of the BJP-Sena combine, Karnik, was arrogant at some of the meetings he had with them prior to the bandh.

"Even on the day of the bandh, when he was at the spot, he hardly interacted with the leaders of the parties, sending the wrong signals," claimed some BJP leaders. However, his subordinates said Karnik is a thorough gentleman.

"He is one officer whom we can approach even for leave and appreciates good efforts by us. He desists from sycophancy. There are occasions when we have SMSed him requesting leave," recalled some officers in the Pune rural police.

According to some Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers among the young breed of IPS officers in the state, Karnik is extremely sharp.

"However, he is paying a price for poor police intelligence that failed to gauge that such an incident would take place," said an IAS officer.