Cybercrime, drug offences rising in Karnataka; CM Siddaramaiah urges strict police action
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday cautioned that cybercrimes and drug-related offences are on the rise in the state and urged the police to take strong and effective measures to curb them.
He also called on the police to make better use of technology to curb such crimes.
The chief minister was speaking at the ‘Karnataka Police Flag Day’ event, attended by Home Minister G Parameshwara and senior Home Department and police officials.
“In the last three years, there has been a decline in major crimes such as murder, robbery, and theft. I compliment the police for this. However, we cannot ignore that in certain crimes we are above the national average. Cybercrimes and drug and narcotics-related offences are on the higher side, and the conviction rate is also low,” Siddaramaiah said.
Addressing police officers and personnel, he said the Karnataka government intends to make the state drug-free and that all necessary measures should be taken in this direction.
“I have stated on several occasions, and I reiterate that criminal offences cannot occur without the knowledge of the police within their station jurisdiction. This must be clearly understood,” he said.
“If police inspectors work efficiently and honestly within their limits, they can prevent several criminal activities,” he added.
Noting that the Constitution guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the law, the chief minister said this principle should always be upheld.
“No one can take the law into their own hands, irrespective of how powerful or influential they are,” he said.
He also urged the police to remain alert and work efficiently in areas where they are lagging in preventing crime and maintaining peace and tranquillity.
Emphasising the use of technology in crime prevention, Siddaramaiah said the police have lagged in this area on several occasions.
“By using technology, the police should prevent crimes, especially cybercrimes and drug and narcotics-related offences, as these are destroying our youth, who are our future. This is very important,” he said, adding that two special task forces have been set up to tackle cybercrime and make the state drug-free.
Warning of action against police personnel who fail to prevent crimes, the CM instructed the Home Minister to hold jurisdictional inspectors accountable if necessary preventive measures are not taken despite repeated warnings.
He added that his government is committed to protecting women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable sections of society, and that the police play a crucial role in ensuring their safety.
Acknowledging that police personnel, unlike those in other departments, do not have fixed working hours and often work during festivals and holidays, he said, “A country or a state with good law and order can progress, as it attracts investment, reduces unemployment, and boosts GDP growth. Therefore, along with development, maintaining harmony is equally important.”
Speaking at the event, Parameshwara said the government has taken initiatives to eradicate the drug network in the state and that the CM has announced his intention to make Karnataka “drug-free.”
“In the last three years, drugs worth thousands of crores of rupees have been seized, and strict action has been taken against many accused involved in the racket,” he said.
He noted that cybercrime is on the rise in the country and added that Karnataka has, for the first time, established a Cyber Command Unit and appointed a Director General-rank officer to lead it. Efforts are underway to curb cybercrime by strengthening the unit.
Referring to the Union Home Minister’s recent statement declaring the country Naxal-free, Parameshwara said, “By establishing an Anti-Naxal Force many years ago, Karnataka became the first Naxal-free state in the country.”
He added that modern challenges are evolving daily and stressed the need for continuous training across all levels of the police force.
Lauding the police for maintaining peace, tranquillity, and law and order in the state, the minister said that, according to the India Justice Report, Karnataka ranks first in providing justice to aggrieved parties in the country.
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Hormuz Strait disruptions have caused huge economic impact, energy instability in region: Navy chief
Mumbai (PTI): The Strait of Hormuz disruptions have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region, Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi said on Thursday amid the war in West Asia.
Speaking at an event where INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, the admiral said competition at sea has no longer remained confined to oil and energy.
It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data, he said.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Iran's strikes on its neighbours along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world's energy supplies with effects far beyond West Asia.
"With the conflict in West Asia well into its fifth week, the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region," Tripathi said.
There is significant increase in the marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement, he said.
Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, the Navy chief pointed out.
Last year alone, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature, the admiral said.
Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD 1 billion USD in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region, he said.
