His detractors, especially a section of the BJP-Sena politicians from Maval taluka, describe him as arrogant. His subordinates in the Pune rural police find him extremely friendly, accessible and polite.
Meet the 36-year-old Pune rural superintendent of police (SP) Sandeep Karnik, at present 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 incumbent director general of police, Ajit Parasnis, Karnik perhaps never visualised that the bandh called by the BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI and supported by the farmers of Maval taluka, would go out of hand to such an extent that the issue would be discussed on the floor of the house in Parliament and state legislature.
An electronic engineer from Mumbai University, Karnik, spurning job offers from abroad, joined IPS in 2004. Before becoming the SP of Pune rural, he had served in districts like Ahmednagar, Thane, Nagpur, Jalna and Nanded in different capacities.
According to some of the farmers and leaders of the BJP-Sena combine, Karnik had been quite arrogant at some of the meetings that he had with them prior to the bandh. “Even on the day of the bandh, he hardly interacted with the leaders, sending wrong signals,” claimed some BJP leaders.
However, his subordinates say Karnik is a gentleman. “He is one officer who we can approach and who appreciates good work. He desists from sycophancy,” they say.
According to some IAS officers, Karnik is extremely sharp. “But he is paying the price for poor police intelligence that failed to gauge that such an incident would take place,” said an IAS officer.
