Rare police honour for civilian: Dr. Ronald Colaco felicitated by Karnataka DGP
Bengaluru: Philanthropist and NRI entrepreneur Dr Ronald Colaco has received rare recognition from the Karnataka Police for his decades-long contribution to public service, police infrastructure development and efforts to promote communal harmony in the state.
The honour was formally conferred on December 22, 2025, when Karnataka Director General of Police M A Saleem presented Dr Colaco with the Karnataka Police Unique Official Memento, engraved with his name, along with a Certificate of Appreciation. Dr. Colaco's wife Jean Colaci was also present during the ceremony. The citation acknowledged his sustained support in upgrading police infrastructure and his role in setting high standards for public-private cooperation in policing.
Earlier, Dr Colaco had also been similarly honoured by former DGP Alok Mohan, making him one of the very few civilians to receive such official police recognition from two successive chiefs. Police officials noted that such mementos are typically reserved for constitutional authorities, senior ministers or visiting foreign dignitaries.
Dr Colaco’s association with the Karnataka Police dates back more than two decades. In 2003, responding to a request from the then police leadership, he undertook the renovation of the Frazer Town police station, now Pulikeshinagar. He went on to design and construct a fully furnished, modern police station spanning about 5,000 square feet, an initiative widely regarded as a first-of-its-kind civilian-supported model police station in the country.
The following year, he reconstructed an earlier police facility at Frazer Town into a dedicated traffic police station, strengthening traffic management infrastructure in the area. His efforts later inspired several large corporates and multinational companies to partner with the state in building police stations, resulting in nearly 50 additional stations across Karnataka through similar public-private initiatives.
In 2021, Dr Colaco added another dimension to his support by building a police museum at Frazer Town to preserve and showcase historical policing artefacts. The museum is expected to be inaugurated later this year. His contributions have also extended beyond Bengaluru, including the provision of furniture and essential facilities to the Chikkajala police station and support for upgrading the Police Officers’ Mess during different tenures of city police leadership.
In Mangaluru, Dr Colaco assisted in renovating the office of the Inspector General of Police during Dr Alok Mohan’s tenure as IGP of the Western Range. He later initiated scholarship programmes for children of police personnel, aimed at encouraging academic excellence. Between 2010 and 2011, scholarships and educational materials worth several million rupees were distributed to more than 550 students, a legacy that has since been continued by his family.
Apart from policing, Dr Colaco has contributed to the development and renovation of a wide range of public institutions across Karnataka over the past three-and-a-half decades. His philanthropic work spans more than 25 sectors, including education, healthcare, judiciary, revenue administration, rural drinking water, roads, sports, disaster relief, places of worship and housing for the underprivileged.
His long-standing public service has also received international recognition. In 2022, the World Book of Records, London, awarded him a Certificate of Excellence for his sustained contributions, an honour announced at the UK Parliament during the Indo-UK Leadership Summit.
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Dakshina Kannada: Two girls drown while bathing near Kolyadakatta dam in Kadaba
Mangaluru: Two girl students drowned while bathing near the Kolyadakatta dam area of the Gundya river on Friday evening here in the Kadaba Taluk of the district.
The deceased have been identified as Arpita (15) and Sunita (21), both residents of Vimalagiri in Kutrupadi village.
According to reports, five girl students had visited the river along with their friends as it was a holiday. While bathing in the river, the two students reportedly entered a deeper portion of the water without realising the depth and began drowning.
Those accompanying them tried to rescue the duo, but were unsuccessful, leading to the tragedy.
After receiving information about the incident, Kadaba Police Station personnel visited the spot and conducted an inspection. The bodies were later recovered with the help of local residents.
