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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Police crack whip against inciteful social media posts
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Police have registered a case on their own after discovering a series of alarming and provocative posts on Instagram, allegedly aimed at inciting communal hatred, glorifying violence and threatening revenge attacks in the city.
According to the FIR, filed by Police Sub-inspector Anita Nikkam of the Kankanady Town Police Station, the officer who was monitoring social media platforms on December 2 as per the instructions of senior officials, came across multiple Instagram accounts sharing inflammatory content.
The FIR states that posts and stories on 16 Instagram accounts reportedly carried images of unknown individuals brandishing weapons, including pistols, revolvers, swords and machetes, some with their faces masked.
Police said the posts were crafted to instil fear, provoke violence, create hostility between communities and disrupt public order in Mangaluru.
The FIR states that the content appeared to be part of a larger attempt to incite hatred between religions and communities, encourage unlawful activities, and disturb peace and communal harmony.
The complaint notes that Mangaluru is a 'sensitive region', and that the posts indicated a coordinated attempt to create fear, trigger riots, conspiracies and criminal acts through social media.
Police have initiated action under relevant sections of law and are tracing the individuals behind the Instagram accounts.
Further investigation is under way.
