Alok Kumar appointed Bengaluru police commissioner in IPS officers' shake-up
Bengaluru: In a major shake-up of IPS officers in Karnataka, the state government appointed Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Alok Kumar as the new Bengaluru Police Commissioner, an official notification said on Monday.
Incumbent T. Suneel Kumar has been now posted as Additional Director General of Police, Recruitments,
"Alok Kumar, a 1994 batch officer, is promoted to officiate in the grade of ADGP (Additional Director General of Police) as Commissioner of Police (CoP) in Bengaluru," said the notification by the state Personnel Department here.
Alok Kumar served in various capacities in state capital over the last decade before he was suspended in May 2015 for six months for his alleged involvement in an inter-state lottery ticket scam, which the CBI has been investigating over the last 4-5 years.
Kumar's suspension was revoked in October 2015, pending the inquiry on the directive of the Union Home Ministry, which cited a Supreme Court ruling that stated IPS officers should not be kept under suspension if a charge-sheet was not filed within three months against them.
Among other senior officers reshuffled or transferred and posted are Deputy Inspector General, Fire Services, B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda as DIG, Crime, in Bengaluru and Inspector General of Police and Additional Commissioner of Police, West, in Bengaluru, B.K. Singh as IGP and Secretary in the state Home Department.
IGP, Administration, Amit Paul has been transferred and posted as IGP, Eastern Range at Davangere in place of Soumendu Mukherjee, who has been made IGP, Internal Security Division in Bengaluru.
IGP, Southern Range, Umesh Kumar has been posted as Additional Commissioner of Police, West, in Bengaluru in place of B.K. Singh.
Karnataka State Reserve Police's Fourth Battalion Commandant Mohammed Sujeetha transferred from Bengaluru and posted as Superintendent of Police in Kolar district.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in Bengaluru's north-east division Kala Krishnaswamy has been made Director of Forensic Science Laboratory in Bengaluru, filling the vacancy.
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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
