Days after police personnel threatened to go on mass leave and protest, police work was normal at all stations across the city and different parts of Karnataka on Saturday.
Early on Saturday morning, senior police officials and jurisdictional Deputy Commissioners of Police began their rounds in their respective jurisdictions to ensure no staff from their division participates in the protest and attended work.
All developments were being closely monitored by the Commissioner of Police, Director-Generals of Police and Inspector-Generals of Police.
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To ensure that law and order in the state is not disturbed, the police administration has deployed 13 companies of Central Reserve Police Force, Railway Protection Force and other central forces, apart from 11,000 home guards.
The police administration has also ensured heavy deployment at the police quarters to discourage and monitor families who may participate in the protest.
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Several police personnel have been guarding the entry and exit of the police quarters. Patrolling in the sensitive areas has been intensified as well.
Preventive custody
Meanwhile, the Central division police, who were closely monitoring the movements of Poornima Shashidhar, wife of Shashidhar Venugopal, president of Akhila Karnataka Police Mahasangha. Mr. Venugopal was recently arrested under sedition and Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and other sections under the Indian Penal Code.
They placed Ms. Shashidhar under preventive custody on Saturday, as she reportedly tried to stage a protest, backed by a few organisations. A warrant had already been executed against her, in anticipation of her trying to stage a protest, sources added.
Mangaluru
Police stations in Mangaluru and other parts of Dakshina Kannada were functioning normally.
However, it is said that members of some organisations will be meeting Police Commissioner M. Chandra Sekhar and Superintendent of Police Bhushan Gulabrao Borase around noon to submit a memorandum seeking an increase in salary, besides seeking fulfilment of their other demands related police constables that state government should address.
Over the past few days, Mr. Sekhar and Mr. Borase held series of meetings with the police constables and their family members at the police stations and police residence quarters. They also met policemen after the weekly parade held at the police stations on Friday and assured them of addressing their grievances.
On Saturday morning, all the policemen reported to duty in their respective police stations. Mr. Borase told The Hindu that there were no absentees, while Mr. Sekhar said policemen have affirmed their faith in the state government resolving their problems.
While normal functioning of police was seen at police stations and at traffic junctions across the district, a batch of about 40 Border Security Force personnel is stationed in the city to handle any likelihood of disturbance in the law and order in the district.
Udupi
K. Annamalai, Superintendent of Police, Udupi said that all police constables, barring one, had reported for duty. The lone police constable had taken casual leave with prior permission. Home Guards had been pressed into service as backup, he said.
S.V. Girish, Inspector of Manipal police station, said that all police constables had reported to duty at the station.
Meanwhile, various organizations took out procession in support of the demands of police constables from DC Circle to District Offices Complex here.
Hassan
Hassan’s Superintendent of Police R.K. Shahapurwad exuded confidence that neither the police nor their family members in Hassan would stage a protest.
It is said that senior officers have held a series of meetings with their staff and convinced them against holding any protest.
Belagavi
With no clear signs of strike by police personnel, the Belagavi district police authorities elicited a promise from constabulary that they would renew their objective of protecting public life and property, uphold law and order, and maintain peace and harmony in society. Yet, a symbolic protest around noon is not ruled out at the moment in Belagavi.
Kalaburagi
The protest threatened by police personnel did not have any impact in Kalaburagi district. All police personnel reported to duty and even those who had applied for leave withdrew their applications.
Superintendent of Police N. Shashikumar, along with other senior officials, was on patrolling duty and even visited individual police station to assess the situation. He claimed that there wasn’t a single absentee in Kalaburagi city. Almost all the major demands of the police constables have been accepted by the government, he added.