He led the Karnataka police team that tracked Sivarasan, prime suspect in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case, to his hideout in Konanakunte outside Bengaluru.
When Kempaiah was in charge of the Special Task Force (STF), he pursued sandalwood smuggler and forest brigand Veerappan.
[3] In 2018, Kempaiah was asked by the Chief Election Officer of Karnataka, Sanjay Kumar, to resign, following MLA G.T.
Devegowda's accusation that he was a “hindrance to holding free and fair Assembly polls”.
[4] Following this, his official role was decommissioned, though he continued in his informal capacity for the remainder of Siddaramaiah's first tenure.