Conduct probe on Shivamogga police, HM Jnanendra tells officers

With the killing of Bajrang Dal worker Harsha, Hindu outfit organisations have expressed their ire against the police.

Sensing the situation, Home Minister Aaraga Jnanendra has directed higher police officers to conduct a departmental inquiry and submit a report in a week.

Underlining the need to audit the performance of Kote and Doddapete police stations in Shivamogga, he said, "We need to ascertain how many police officers and personnel were there in these two police stations in the past five years and how they monitored these accused (those eight arrested) who have a huge criminal past."

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He warned that "irresponsible" police officers will not be spared, which led to "the incidents".

The minister has also directed the higher officials to probe into the functioning of the police in the district as he received many complaints from the public that police were also responsible for the rise in anti-national elements in Malnad region.

Rumours were also doing the rounds that Superintendent of Police B M Laxmi Prasad might be transferred after violence broke out during the funeral procession of Harsha in the city on Monday.

"Eight people have been arrested so far officially while interrogation of others is on," Jnanendra, who hails from the Shivamogga district, told reporters. He said the "background" of all the accused is being investigated. According to him, most of them have a "long criminal past".

"I have written to the Director-General of Police Praveen Sood to know the reason behind the anti-social elements growing in Shimvamogga and fix the accountability of the police", the Minister said.

(With PTI inputs)