Free Bengaluru from rowdies, home minister tells cops

Free Bengaluru from rowdies, home minister tells cops
Bengaluru: Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy held a meeting with inspectors of all police stations in Bengaluru on Saturday and ordered them to crack down on history-sheeters and maintain law and order.

Addressing the inspectors for the first time after taking charge of the Home Department, he pointed to the thousands of hooligans in the city and said they must be reined in at all costs. The government is ready to support and encourage efficient officers but it would not tolerate those who seek the transfer for no reason, he added.

Reddy wants each police station to build its own intelligence gathering network to prevent crimes. He also asked the police to be people friendly and win their confidence instead of scaring them.

On the disturbance caused by paying guest digs in some neighbourhoods, the minister said: “There are reports of many PG digs having late-night parties and disturbing other residents. Police should take action against them without fail. Senior officers, including the commissioner, should go on night rounds and patrol the streets. They should make sure that each restaurant, bar and wine store follows the timings and take action if there is any violation. Besides, police should prevent foreign students from committing crimes.”

Reddy also emphasised providing round-the-clock security to information technology corridors and warned to hold station house officers responsible for any failure of law and order in their jurisdiction. He asked them to register FIRs without any delay and instructed the deputy commissioners of police to take conduct public meetings in their divisions.

This apart, the home minister directed the police to invoke the Goonda Act against the peddlers of narcotic drugs. He said the police should not allow betting and gambling activities and crack down on prostitution, video games, skill games, live bands and hookah bars.