Bengaluru: As the New Year approaches, the City Police Commissioner, B. Dayanand, held a press conference on Tuesday to outline the preparations and guidelines aimed at maintaining law and order during the celebrations in the state capital.

To prevent any untoward incidents during the festivities, the police have implemented various precautions. Heavy checkpoints have been set up in crowded areas, including popular spots like star hotels, pubs, and clubs. Commissioner Dayanand mentioned that discussions have taken place with multiple departments, including BBMP, Metro, BMTC, Excise, Health, Fire, Pollution Control Board, BMRCL, and BESCOM.

Enhanced police security measures are in place at key locations such as MG Road, Brigade Road, Cubbon Park, Trinity, Phoenix Mall, and clubs. Additionally, Safe Team Islands are being established to ensure the safety of women during the celebrations.

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The police will set up kiosks to provide information about theft in case of missing children. Watchtowers equipped with binoculars have been constructed in strategic surveillance areas, and increased police presence is noted in areas like Indira Nagar and Koramangala.

Commissioner Dayanand emphasized that the consumption of drugs is strictly prohibited, with ongoing detentions and interrogations of drug peddlers. Monitoring of unauthorized liquor storage and vendors in the block is also underway. Drone cameras will be deployed at important locations, and over 10,000 policemen, along with home guards, will be on duty across the city.

For enhanced security, two additional commissioners of police, one joint commissioner of police, 15 DCPs, 160 inspectors, 600 sub-inspectors, 600 ASIs, 1,800 head constables, and 5,200 police constables have been deployed.

To manage traffic, all flyovers will be closed from 11 pm on December 31. New Year celebrations are permitted only until 1 am, and all shops, including hotels and bars, must be closed by this time. Commissioner Dayanand highlighted that police presence will be significant, especially in malls where large gatherings are expected.

Preparations include 48 checkposts to curb activities like wheeling and drag racing. Drunk and drive checks will be conducted at 48 locations to ensure road safety during the celebrations.

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Bengaluru: Karnataka’s district judiciary is facing a significant shortage of judicial officers, with approximately 27.5% of positions across the state's district courts remaining vacant.

According to data cited by The Times of India on Tuesday, out of a total of 21,541 positions, 5,926 remain unfilled, leading to concerns about the efficiency of the state's justice system.

Bengaluru city is particularly affected, with 835 vacancies out of 2,510 sanctioned posts. Bengaluru Rural courts follow closely with 532 vacant positions from a total of 1,003 sanctioned roles. Mandya district shows an alarming vacancy rate, with 376 vacancies against 844 sanctioned positions.

Several other major districts are also grappling with alarming staffing deficits, including Mysuru (299 vacancies) Belagavi (345), Tumakuru (279), Dakshina Kannada (312), and Hassan (207).

Apart from vacancies of judicial officers, 243 of the 1,395 sanctioned posts for district judge, ad-hoc district judge, senior civil judge and civil judge remain vacant, the report added.

Legal experts have stressed that addressing the judicial vacancy crisis should be a priority for the state government to ensure the effective functioning of the justice delivery system. These staffing shortages may contribute significantly to case backlogs and undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

Meanwhile, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs M.B. Patil, recently stated in the legislative assembly that efforts to fill the vacancies are underway. He cited a notification from February 2025, which will see 158 civil judge positions filled in the near future.