The Karnataka government has appointed 2012-batch IPS officer N. Vishnuvardhana as Mysuru’s new police commissioner, transferring him from his post as director of the Karnataka Police Academy with immediate effect. He will replace Seema Latkar, who had served as Mysuru city police commissioner for three years.
The government order stated that Vishnuvardhana will function as Mysuru city police commissioner until further orders. The appointment places an experienced district and city police officer in charge of policing responsibilities in one of Karnataka’s major urban centres.
Before taking charge in Mysuru, Vishnuvardhana served as the director of the Karnataka Police Academy and held the rank of deputy inspector general of police. His previous assignments include serving as deputy superintendent of police in Virajpet, assistant commissioner of police in Mysuru’s Krishnaraja subdivision, deputy commissioner of police, and superintendent of police in Udupi, North Kannada and Mysuru district.
The range of these postings covers city policing, district-level law enforcement and police training. His earlier role in Mysuru’s Krishnaraja subdivision also gives him prior experience of policing within the city, while his tenure as Mysuru district superintendent of police involved responsibilities outside the city commissionerate.
The transfer also marks the end of Seema Latkar’s tenure as Mysuru city police commissioner. The government has not indicated a new posting for Latkar in the order described by the report. The change takes effect immediately, with the order specifying that Vishnuvardhana will continue in the commissioner’s position until another direction is issued.
In a related administrative decision, the state government has declared the Mysuru city police commissioner’s post equivalent in status and responsibility to a deputy inspector general-level position in the investigation wing of the Director General and Inspector General of Police, including the Criminal Investigation Department. The decision was taken under Rule 12 of the Indian Police Service (Pay) Rules, 2016.
The designation change gives the commissioner’s post a formally stated equivalence with a DIG-cadre position and sets out its status and responsibilities within the state police structure. For Mysuru’s urban administration, the order therefore combines a leadership transition with a clarification of the seniority attached to the city’s top policing office.
Vishnuvardhana’s appointment will now be followed by his assumption of charge and the continuation of city police administration under the new arrangement. The order does not specify an end date for his tenure or identify a separate posting for Latkar.
