After combing the forests for years to search out armed Maoists, as many as half of the 670-member Anti-Naxal Drive (ANF) of the Karnataka Police will now be deployed in city areas within the state to sort out communal teams that foment violence between communities.
The brand new anti-communal process drive of the state police that has been proposed within the wake of a sequence of communal murders within the religiously polarised coastal belt of Karnataka will comprise half of the ANF, which has turn into redundant following the give up of the final of the state’s armed Naxals in January, police sources mentioned.
“I’ve requested the director common of police to ship a proposal (for creation of the anti-communal drive). We are going to study it and approve,” Dwelling Minister G Parameshwara mentioned this week.
Parameshwara proposed the creation of the anti-communal process drive to forestall communal disturbances within the wake of the homicide of right-wing gangster Suhas Shetty, 32, in Mangaluru on Could 1.
Shetty, who has eight crimes, together with murders, in opposition to his identify, was the primary accused within the July 2022 homicide of Mohammed Fazil, 23, in Surathkal close to Mangaluru. Fazil’s homicide was seen as a retaliation for the homicide of BJP youth chief Praveen Nettaru by members of the now-banned Common Entrance of India.
The brand new anti-communal process drive is anticipated to be tasked with monitoring communal gangsters and teams. The drive will function throughout the state and won’t be restricted to coastal Karnataka, the place the communal divide is seen as a significant social downside that’s past the management of the police, sources mentioned.
Previously, communal homicide instances in Karnataka, particularly these of right-wing leaders, have been referred to the Nationwide Investigation Company (NIA), allegedly following strain from the BJP and allies.
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There was a requirement by the BJP handy over the Shetty homicide case to the NIA, however the Karnataka Congress authorities has indicated the prison document of the gangster to recommend that the case is linked to rivalries between gangsters, relatively than terrorists.
The NIA, which is apprehensive of the banned PFI persevering with to function within the coastal areas of Karnataka, has not obtained authorized clearances as but to query the folks arrested by the Mangaluru police within the Suhas Shetty homicide case.
The proposal for the anti-communal process drive may also basically assist the Karnataka Police shield jobs within the division and forestall the slashing of police budgets by the state monetary division by way of the disbanding of the ANF, senior cops mentioned.
“The brand new anti-communal drive shall be created by utilising half the personnel allotted to the ANF. The brand new unit will work primarily in city areas within the state and never within the forests just like the ANF. They are going to report back to the state police chief as an alternative of the inner safety division as completed earlier for the ANF. The modalities are nonetheless being labored out,” a senior officer mentioned.
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“The principle process of crime prevention and investigation will stay with the jurisdictional police, and the particular drive shall be utilized in instances which are communal in nature,” a supply mentioned.
Parameshwara mentioned this week that the anti-communal process drive would additionally take a look at instances of ethical policing and promotion of enmity between communities. “If it (ethical policing) is simply a social downside, the common police will deal with it, however whether it is communal in nature and may end up in communal points, then it will likely be entrusted to the anti-communal drive,” Parameshwara mentioned on Could 7.
Earlier, the Karnataka police division hoped to retain the companies of all the 670-member ANF to make sure that the vacuum created by the top to the anti-Naxal operations is just not crammed by a brand new set of armed Maoist forces that transfer from areas within the north of India following sturdy measures taken by paramilitary and police forces.
Nevertheless, following pressures from throughout the authorities, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah introduced in his price range in March this yr that the state ANF shall be disbanded.
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“Six underground Naxals have surrendered earlier than the Naxal give up and rehabilitation programme committee. With this, Karnataka has turn into Naxal-free, and therefore Anti-Naxal Drive shall be disbanded. The surrendered Naxals shall be dropped at the social mainstream, and to supply primary amenities within the Naxal-affected areas, a particular package deal of Rs 10 crore shall be formulated,” Siddaramaiah mentioned in March.
The transfer to disband the ANF, nevertheless, was perceived as a discount within the variety of jobs within the police division, which might require recent proposals and finance division clearances to replenish sooner or later. “It’s straightforward to dismantle a drive however tough to create one with the form of coaching and experience of the ANF,” a senior police officer mentioned.
The Karnataka authorities spent ₹150 crore on salaries of the ANF from 2018 to early 2025, in response to a legislature reply by the house minister.
Within the aftermath of Shetty’s homicide, it was determined to suggest the creation of an anti-communal process drive utilizing ANF members, police sources mentioned. The transfer will reportedly not require any main authorities approvals, together with budgetary clearance.
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Earlier this yr, on January 8, six Naxals, Mundagaru Latha, 45, Sundari Kuthlur, 40, Vanajakshi B, 55, Marappa Aroli alias Jayanna, 49, Jisha, 34, and Ramesh alias Vasanth, 38 surrendered earlier than Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru. A seventh Naxal, Kotehunda Ravi, 45, surrendered a month later. They’re thought of the final of the armed Naxals in Karnataka.