Stints in various police operations, including heading the Special Task Force against forest brigand Veerappan, will come in handy in handling situations in the Western Range, said the new Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) P. Harishekaran.
Talking to presspersons after taking charge of the new post on Friday, Mr. Harishekaran said that serving in operational areas has made him adapt to difficult situations.
During his three-year stint each in the Internal Security Division and with the Bengaluru police he worked closely with fellow colleagues and those from other investigation agencies.
Using technological tools, Mr. Harishekaran said that he did bring people close to police in Bengaluru.
“This experience helps me in addressing issues related to the range (comprising Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada),” said this 1996-batch IPS officer.
Mr. Harishekaran said he believed in working as a team with fellow police officers and inspire them to handle challenging situations. “I have come to your place. Make best use of me,” said Mr. Harishekaran while asking people to feel free to interact with him and give suggestions for further improvement of police functioning.
Mr. Harishekaran on Friday took charge as the 12th IGP of Western Range. He has replaced J. Arun Chakravarthy, who has been posted as the Inspector- General of Police (Internal Security), Bengaluru.
Mr. Harishekaran, the youngest son of Palanimuthu, former Tamil Nadu MLA, worked for two years as Customs Officer before joining the IPS (Karnataka Cadre) in 1996.
He first worked as a probationary IPS officer in Vijayapura and then as Assistant Superintendent of Police, Arasikere. After his stint in the Special Task Force, Mr. Harishekaran served for three years as Superintendent of Police (SP) of Raichur when the maoist activity was at its peak.
He worked as SP of Tumkuru for three years and then moved to Bengaluru where he worked in different posts. He was Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) in Bengaluru when he was transferred to Mangaluru.
