<p>In the last ten months alone, around 124 police personnel in Bengaluru, from constables to IPS officers, have been suspended for crimes ranging from corruption and extortion to robbery, dereliction of duty, and even drug peddling. </p><p>Yet not a single case has resulted in dismissal or even strong deterrent action. Most officers return to duty after a departmental inquiry, and the cycle of misconduct continues. Recent incidents expose just how deep the rot runs. </p><p>Two constables in Bengaluru extorted money from an insurance adviser and his client. A constable was involved in the Rs 7.11-crore cash van heist. Another group, including a constable, posed as cybercrime officials, kidnapped BPO managers, and forced them to transfer money. In 2022, even those assigned to the then Chief Minister’s security detail were caught selling marijuana.</p>.<p>The problem is not confined to the lower ranks. An inspector, along with five other policemen, allegedly took bribes from criminals – including a drug peddler and a murder suspect – to give them a clean chit. A Deputy Superintendent of Police was arrested for tampering with evidence in the Bitcoin scam. An officer of the ADGP rank was arrested in the PSI recruitment scam. At Parappana Agrahara, the Superintendent of Prison was suspended for granting VVIP treatment and allowing mobile phone access to inmates. More recently, 11 officers were suspended for allegedly collaborating with a gang selling sedative tablets. Such cases are reported beyond Bengaluru too. Two police sub-inspectors in Davangere were arrested for robbing a jeweller of gold worth Rs 7.5 lakh. The list is endless.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara have repeatedly pulled up the police for their misdeeds. The Chief Minister has warned officers against colluding with the real estate mafia, a sector notorious for land-grabbing and extortion, while the Home Minister has publicly criticised police stations turning into “real-estate addas”. </p><p>The persistence of such corruption stems from the long-entrenched “cash-for-posting” culture. Officers pay huge sums to secure lucrative postings and then view the payment as an investment to be recovered through extortion, collusion with the mafia, or by turning a blind eye to crime. </p><p>This vicious system corrodes the very foundations of law enforcement. While Bengaluru police have earned recognition for solving several major cases, their reputation is increasingly tainted by rogue elements within the force. Police cannot be seen as criminals in uniform. The government must purge habitual offenders, end the cash-for-posting racket, and ensure swift, exemplary punishment. Failure to do so will embolden corrupt policemen to continue their criminality with impunity.</p>
<p>In the last ten months alone, around 124 police personnel in Bengaluru, from constables to IPS officers, have been suspended for crimes ranging from corruption and extortion to robbery, dereliction of duty, and even drug peddling. </p><p>Yet not a single case has resulted in dismissal or even strong deterrent action. Most officers return to duty after a departmental inquiry, and the cycle of misconduct continues. Recent incidents expose just how deep the rot runs. </p><p>Two constables in Bengaluru extorted money from an insurance adviser and his client. A constable was involved in the Rs 7.11-crore cash van heist. Another group, including a constable, posed as cybercrime officials, kidnapped BPO managers, and forced them to transfer money. In 2022, even those assigned to the then Chief Minister’s security detail were caught selling marijuana.</p>.<p>The problem is not confined to the lower ranks. An inspector, along with five other policemen, allegedly took bribes from criminals – including a drug peddler and a murder suspect – to give them a clean chit. A Deputy Superintendent of Police was arrested for tampering with evidence in the Bitcoin scam. An officer of the ADGP rank was arrested in the PSI recruitment scam. At Parappana Agrahara, the Superintendent of Prison was suspended for granting VVIP treatment and allowing mobile phone access to inmates. More recently, 11 officers were suspended for allegedly collaborating with a gang selling sedative tablets. Such cases are reported beyond Bengaluru too. Two police sub-inspectors in Davangere were arrested for robbing a jeweller of gold worth Rs 7.5 lakh. The list is endless.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara have repeatedly pulled up the police for their misdeeds. The Chief Minister has warned officers against colluding with the real estate mafia, a sector notorious for land-grabbing and extortion, while the Home Minister has publicly criticised police stations turning into “real-estate addas”. </p><p>The persistence of such corruption stems from the long-entrenched “cash-for-posting” culture. Officers pay huge sums to secure lucrative postings and then view the payment as an investment to be recovered through extortion, collusion with the mafia, or by turning a blind eye to crime. </p><p>This vicious system corrodes the very foundations of law enforcement. While Bengaluru police have earned recognition for solving several major cases, their reputation is increasingly tainted by rogue elements within the force. Police cannot be seen as criminals in uniform. The government must purge habitual offenders, end the cash-for-posting racket, and ensure swift, exemplary punishment. Failure to do so will embolden corrupt policemen to continue their criminality with impunity.</p>
