20,000 police to be deployed for New Year celebrations in Bengaluru: Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said around 20,000 police personnel and officials will be deployed to man Bengaluru to ensure peaceful New Year celebrations, with authorities expecting over 10 lakh people to gather in various parts of the city.
Precautions have been taken to ensure that the celebrations are peaceful and enjoyable, he said and called on people, especially youth to "celebrate responsibly".
"A crowd of approximately 7-8 lakh people had gathered in different places for New Year celebrations last year, this year more than ten lakh people are expected," Parameshwara said.
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Speaking to reporters after a meeting with police officials, he said the police have identified crowd prone areas such as -- Koramangala, Indira Nagara, Central Business District (CBD) area, and Niladri Road-- for new year celebrations.
Detailing arrangements, he said, "Approximately 20,000 police personnel and officials have been deployed to man the city to ensure that the celebrations are peaceful and happy. The deployment includes 14,000 personnel for Law and Order maintenance, 2,500 personnel for traffic management, 88 Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) platoons, 21 City Armed Reserve (CAR) platoons, 250 cobra bike personnels among others."
The minister said emphasis has been laid on women's safety, crowd management, and advisories have been issued to stakeholders like bars, restaurants, malls, pubs among others.
"Security is also a major focus area, keeping in mind the recent Delhi blast, and necessary preventive measures are being taken, and a watch has been kept on the activities of anti social elements," he said.
Bars and restaurants have been instructed to strictly adhere to time limits with respect to serving liquor and their activities, and the 1 am deadline will be strictly implemented.
Noting that certain new initiatives have been taken, Parameshwara said. QR code consisting of all the necessary information has been distributed to pubs, restaurants, malls and public places among others.
Watch towers, focus lights are being installed in identified areas, also access control facilities and vehicle checkpoints are being set up at various places, he said.
Drone cameras will be deployed for surveillance, along with CCTV cameras in addition to what already exists, also safety shelters are being set up in various places, the Home Minister said. Sufficient ambulances and fire tenders are being positioned at places where crowds gather.
"We have also deployed some 2,500 police to manage the traffic," he said, adding that some buses, cars, and police vehicles have been kept ready, to send stranded people back home in night hours.
For the first time, "heatmap" has been introduced in Bengaluru, which will idenitify places with large crowd in red and relay real-time information to the control or command centre to aid in crowd management, he added.
Meanwhile, officials said 2,854 drunk and driving cases have been registered in the last five days as part of a drive in the run up to New Year.
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Maharashtra cops bust ₹1.2 crore worth drugs in Bengaluru ahead of New Year
Bengaluru: With New Year celebrations just days away, the Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), with assistance from the Bengaluru City Police, has seized drugs worth about ₹1.20 crore from different parts of the city.
The seizure was made during coordinated raids conducted by Maharashtra police teams at Horamavu, Yerrappanahalli and Kannur areas on the outskirts of Bengaluru. During the operation, police recovered around 4.1 kg of solid MDMA and 17 kg of liquid MDMA, with a total estimated value of ₹1.20 crore.
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Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara, who briefed senior police officers during a meeting in the city on Sunday, said the operation was part of intensified action against drug trafficking that has been underway across the state since October and November. He said the Maharashtra police had first arrested an accused in Mumbai on December 27, based on whose information another accused was traced and arrested in Bengaluru through a joint operation involving Maharashtra police and the Bengaluru City Police.
According to the Home Minister, the accused had stored mephedrone, a chemical used in the manufacture of synthetic drugs. Based on inputs from the Mumbai arrest, a coordinated operation was carried out by the Bengaluru City Police, Mumbai Police, the Narcotics Control Bureau and other investigating agencies. He dismissed claims that Bengaluru police had not acted in the case, stating that the operation was a result of joint efforts.
Dr Parameshwara also rejected reports claiming that three drug manufacturing units were operating in Bengaluru, calling such information false. He said senior Bengaluru police officers, including deputy commissioners, were present during the raids along with Maharashtra police officials. He added that the fight against drug networks was being carried out in an organised manner at the national level, with intensified enforcement since October.
Clarifying reports that suggested drugs worth ₹58 crore had been seized, the Home Minister said those figures were incorrect. He stated that the total quantity of drugs recovered was around 4 kg in solid form, valued at ₹1.20 crore. He noted that in several cases, Karnataka police also act on information provided by accused persons arrested in other states, and such coordination should not be portrayed as a failure of local police.
He warned that strict action would be taken if lapses were found at any level, including against deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners or local officers, adding that disciplinary action could go beyond suspension if required.
Senior officials, including Director General of Police Dr M.A. Saleem, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, joint commissioners and deputy commissioners from various wings, were present at the meeting.
Reacting to the development, former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MLA Dr C.N. Ashwath Narayan alleged that the Home Department had failed to curb the organised production, transport and sale of drugs in the state. He said the fact that Maharashtra police were conducting raids in Karnataka reflected poorly on the state’s law enforcement machinery.
BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra also criticised the government, claiming that Bengaluru was fast turning into a “drug hub” and questioning the effectiveness of the state’s intelligence and police systems. He said the involvement of police from other states in exposing drug networks in Karnataka was a matter of serious concern and an embarrassment for the state administration.
