Karnataka home minister warns strict legal action against police personnel involved in crimes

BENGALURU: Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday warned of strict legal action against police personnel involved in crime and related offences.
He said it cannot be tolerated that police, who are responsible for maintaining law and order in the society along with protecting public life and property, are seen indulging in crime-related incidents.
Noting that there are more than one lakh police personnel in the state, Jnanendra in a statement said, "Due to wrong activities of a select few, a negative impression is getting created about the whole department, in the minds of the public.Directions will be given to not only suspend such police staff, but also to dismiss them," he said.
The home minister's statement comes in the backdrop of the recent arrest of two policemen deputed for the security of Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai's private residence in Bengaluru, for allegedly trying to extort money from drug peddlers.
Pointing to the incident, Jnanendra complemented the officials who identified it and took legal action against those involved, and said that directions have been given to felicitate them with the appropriate award.