[1]Bengaluru: At his first ever meeting with senior police officers after becoming Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah took them to task and warned them of stringent action if he received any complaints of negligence against any officer.
Addressing a marathon three hour review meeting, the chief minister said, “I know that no illegal activities take place without the knowledge of the jurisdictional police. Policemen know where illegal live bands, dance bars and video game parlours function. They should act according to the law and shut such shops and establishments immediately. Senior officers should ask their subordinates to do this failing which the seniors will be held responsible and action will be taken against them.”
Siddaramaiah asked the policemen to treat the public with courtesy, particularly those who visit police stations with problems. “It’s no surprise that people think twice before visiting a police station. They are scared to talk to the police in the first place. This trend has to end. What are you going to lose if you speak properly to the public? Also, there are complaints that police don’t register cases but try to settle them. Even if there is pressure from local political leaders, police should not hesitate to register a case.”
Emphasising on the need to tackle rowdy activity, Siddaramaiah said that there were cases where policemen were acting like real estate agents. “How can anyone expect justice from police when they are so corrupt and indulge in illegal activities? How can the police force be strengthened in a situation like this?,” he asked.
Expressing anger over irregularities at prisons, the CM recalled that he had received a threat call from an inmate of Gulbarga prison in 2005. “It’s a known fact that jail inmates have access to mobile phones and other contraband, and prison staff are hand in glove with them. If prisoners are provided everything inside the jail, what is the point in keeping them inside?,” he wondered.
On the Naxal problem, the CM said the govt will act stringently if Naxalites resort to violence. “The government will encourage them to lead a normal life if they surrender and there are special packages for that. We will strengthen the Anti-Naxal Force.”
Home minister K.J. George said that he had discussed with the CM the establishment of police canteens and the issue of providing various facilities like housing and insurance to police personnel. Pointing out that police inspectors often give the responsibility of registering FIRs and preparing chargesheets to ‘writers,’ George asked officers to look into the matter.
Exclusive recruitment for intelligence wing
The CM said that the existing intelligence wing was not strong enough and needed to be strengthened. “We plan to recruit staff exclusively for the intelligence wing and train them in intelligence gathering. The system exists in Maharashtra and the intelligence wing is strong there.”
CID to probe KPSC scam
The CM said that the Cash for posts scam in the Karnataka Public Service Commission has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). “We have asked them to submit a detailed report on the scam in a month,” he said.
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