Act tough on land mafia, police told

Act tough on land mafia, police told

The Hindu

Officials warned against links with criminals


BANGALORE: Act tough against anti-social elements and do not hesitate to use your service weapons if the situation warrants. This was the message delivered by Commissioner of Police Neelam Achuta Rao to officials on Wednesday.

Mr. Achuta Rao, who reviewed the city's crime scenario with senior officials, asked the police to act tough against anti-social elements, particularly those who are part of the land mafia, sources in the city police said.

Sources told The Hindu that the Commissioner warned the police officers not to connive with the land mafia, which was contributing to murders and other criminal activities in the city.

In his first meeting with senior police officers after taking charge as Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy had said that lower-rung police officers in Bangalore had links with land mafia. He had instructed the senior police officials to ensure that such a nexus was curbed.

The sources said Mr. Achuta Rao appreciated the work done by the Subramanyapura police sub-inspector Anil Kumar who had opened fire at two chain snatchers on Tuesday afternoon.

He emphasised that the other officers too should not hesitate in using their service weapons if the situation demanded.

Meanwhile, Mr. Achuta Rao told presspersons that he had not issued "shoot-at-sight" orders as reported in a section of the media. "The instruction is that the police should not hesitate to use any force to check anti-social activity and in self-defence," he said.

The Commissioner entrusted certain officers in each of the six divisions to trace and arrest the out-of-view (OV) criminals, who were accused in murder cases. A list of such persons had been prepared and given to the officers, the sources said.

The meeting was attended by Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Bipin Gopalkrishna, Additional Commissioner of Police (City Armed Reserve) Nahar Sima Megarik, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Gopal B. Hosur, all Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) and Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs).