Special Action Force to curb communal killings in Coastal, Malnad Regions inaugurated
Mangaluru: In an effort to tackle the rising cases of communal violence and targeted killings in the coastal and Malnad regions, the Karnataka government has constituted a Special Task Force (STF), which was formally inaugurated by Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara on Friday morning.
The launch event was held at the District Police Parade Grounds in Mangaluru. Karnataka Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader, Dakshina Kannada District In-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Legislative Council members Ivan D’Souza and Manjunath Bhandari, Director General and Inspector General of Police Dr M.A. Saleem, Additional DGP S. Murugan, Western Range IGP Amit Singh, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan, and Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C.H., who also holds additional charge as DIGP of the Special Task Force, were present on the occasion.
The Special Task Force will consist of 248 police personnel and operate in three companies. The unit is aimed at monitoring and preventing communal disturbances and targeted killings in sensitive regions, particularly in Dakshina Kannada and surrounding districts that have witnessed a spike in communal tensions in recent years.
Officials said the force will be specially trained to deal with such issues and will function independently under the guidance of senior police leadership, while coordinating with local police units for effective action.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
