Karnataka   

Karnataka to have functional anti-terrorist squad

BANGALORE: After terrorists held Mumbai for ransom, the Karnataka Government woke up from the slumber and said this time it is serious in having a fully functional anti-terrorist squad (ATS).

After a meeting with Director-General and Inspector-General of Police R. Sri Kumar and other senior police officers at the Police Headquarters on Friday, Home Minister V.S. Acharya told presspersons that the Cabinet would immediately decide the framework of ATS. The squad would be headed by a Director-General of Police, he said. Conceding that the Karnataka police were ill-equipped to handle terrorist-related activities, Mr. Acharya said they were trained in the traditional functions such as maintaining law and order and detection of crime.

“They need to develop expertise in handling terrorist-induced crimes. Focus is being put on creation of intelligence gathering stream, which forms an integral part of ATS,” he said.

Two squads, one for the State and one for Bangalore, are presently involved mainly in intelligence gathering. They have not become a fully operational unit to launch assaults like squads in Maharashtra, he added.

Principal Secretary (Home) Upendra Tripathy said Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has convened a meeting of representatives all hotels, industries and important establishments and review the security arrangements.

He said the State police have established a hotline with the Defence and Paramilitary Forces. Mr. Sri Kumar is in touch with central intelligence agencies and State intelligence sleuths.

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