G. Parameshwara
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
To strengthen law and order and curb communal clashes, the State government has deployed a Special Action Force (SAF) in Mandya district, Home Minister G. Parameshwara announced on Friday.
The decision follows intelligence inputs and the State’s efforts to prevent communal disturbances, similar to those previously witnessed in the coastal belt.
Dr. Parameshwara said the SAF had proved effective in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Shivamogga districts, where more than 300 personnel received specialised training. “Based on field reports, we have extended the SAF to Mandya as well,” he said.
Highlighting reforms introduced by the government, Dr. Parameshwara said Karnataka ranked first in the country in delivering justice, scoring 6.78 out of 10 in the India Justice Report survey.
Close coordination between the police and the judiciary, especially in addressing cases involving marginalised communities, had contributed to the top ranking, he said.
The State also became the first in India to establish 33 exclusive Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement police stations for handling cases under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
“The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) now houses a Deposits Fraud Unit and a Criminal Intelligence Unit, while a separate CID subdivision has been created in Belthangady,” he noted.
The Minister detailed improvements in emergency response, noting that the 112 helpline received 24,000 calls daily and police respond to around 1,400 of them. Bengaluru’s average response time had been brought down to 6.59 minutes. Community policing initiatives such as ‘Mane Manege Police’ had reached 95% coverage, helping reduce fear of uniformed personnel.
He noted that about 9,000 AI-enabled cameras had been installed at major junctions in Bengaluru, adding to the seven lakh surveillance cameras already in place.
“The Forensic Science Laboratory has been modernised, speeding up report delivery to two months,” Dr. Parameshwara noted.
According to the Minister, cybercrime control has been strengthened with the appointment of an exclusive DGP, the first such post in the country, along with cybercrime police stations in all districts. The 1930 helpline now operated 24/7 with 66 officials.
“In 2022, 12,550 cybercrime cases were registered. After separate cybercrime police stations were established, 21,903 cases were registered in 2023 and 21,995 cases in 2024. In 2025, 13,000 cases have been reported so far,” he said.
On prison reforms, Dr. Parameshwara said an IPS officer had been appointed Superintendent of the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara here, and a centralised command centre would soon monitor all State prisons. He also warned of strict disciplinary action against corrupt police officers.
Published – December 05, 2025 09:26 pm IST
