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2,146 raids in Bengaluru: 1,548 detained in crack down on criminals
The city police on Saturday raided around 2,146 homes associated with rowdies, and 1,548 people were taken into detention by the city police, said Bengaluru commissioner Kamal Pant
The city police on Saturday raided around 2,146 homes associated with rowdies, and 1,548 people were taken into detention by the city police, said Bengaluru commissioner Kamal Pant. Raids were also conducted in Parappanna Agrahara Central Prison, he added.
Pant told HT that the raids began as early as 5 am, and all senior officials were deployed for the raids and the highest number of cases booked during the raid. “We booked 561 rowdies under various sections; this is the highest in the history of any raid so far. We have also seized 91 weapons,” he said.
Out of the 561 cases, 48 people booked under the Arms Act for possession of weapons, 84 booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act after illegal drugs were seized and two persons have been booked for planning to execute dacoity. Around 406 booked under other preventive sections.
“We have taken bonds from them, and if they violate the conditions, they will be arrested,” Pant added.
The raids come on the back of a series of high-profile murders in the city in the last 15 days. An associate of Rashid Malabari, an alleged shooter in the Dawood gang, Kareem Ali, was killed on June 22. Rekha Kadiresh, a former corporator was hacked to death on June 24 A financier named Madan and another named Krishna Murthy were killed on July 3 and 4 in the limits of various police stations.
When asked if the raids were a reaction to the recent murders in the city, the commissioner said that the raids were part of the preventive action from the police. “It is not true that crimes in Bengaluru have increased. In the four murders reported in Bengaluru, three were due to personal reasons, and only Madan murder was gang-related. We have been planning this raid for some time, and since the lockdown got lifted, we thought it was the right time,” he said.
Along with the raids in the eight-division of Bengaluru police, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) conducted raids in the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. “The raids began as early 5 am, and during the raids, 200 grams of ganja (marijuana) and 29 weapons were seized. The information found during the raid has been shared with the prison department for further action,” said Sandeep Patil, joint commissioner of police (CCB).
Commissioner Pant also added that administrative transfers would be conducted across ranks in Bengaluru police to ensure that no policeman or officer stays in one particular station for more than three years. “The transfers of sub-inspectors, ASI (Assistant Sub-Inspectors), head constables have finished. The same will be conducted for constables soon. We will ensure there is no instance of any policeman staying at one post and aiding the criminals there,” Pant added.
When questioned how kingpins of some gangs were missing from the city during the raids, Pant said that they will be questioned soon.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Police will now book house owners renting a place to foreign nationals accused in narcotic and drug cases for lack of due diligence, said a communication from the police department. The police noted that some landlords were not verifying documents of foreign nationals before renting out their property to get higher rent.
The city police said it would undertake a three-pronged investigation in narcotics cases involving foreign nationals henceforth — the peddlers’ side, foreigner’s involvement in the drug mafia and the house owners’ side.
