Bengaluru: Senior IPS officer K.V. Gagandeep has been appointed as the head of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) by the state government on Saturday. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.A. Saleem has been appointed as IGP of ACB with immediate effect.

The government is yet to announce replacements for the two officers.

Gagandeep, who was serving as Principal Secretary, Home Department (PCAS), has been appointed the Additional Director General of Police of ACB.

According to sources, the bureau has a sanctioned strength of 322 police officers. The state government will transfer more police officials to the bureau, based on the report which will be submitted by Gagandeep in a few weeks. As of now the government has not finalised any office space for the bureau but considered several places in the city including Khanija Bhavan on Race Course Road.

The state government has courted controversy by forming the the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) with the Opposition and leaders within ruling party alleging that the move was a deliberate attempt to kill the Lokayukta institution.

Following criticism over ACB’s functioning, the government is contemplating to bring some minor changes to the notification issued to set up the bureau.

However, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra while reacting to the criticism by the Opposition party leaders, said that there will be clarity on the independency of the ACB once the government comes with a detailed notification and also a police manual spelling out the functioning and responsibilities of the ACB.

“We have taken a decision to constitute the ACB. There is no question of going back. We are ready to face the opposition in the legislature. We will clarify our stand”, he said.