MANGALURU: Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara launched the Special Action Force (SAF), a specialised unit aimed at tackling communal incidents in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Shivamogga districts, in Mangaluru on Friday.
Dr Parameshwara said that the State Government decided to set up the SAF following recurring incidents of violence in Dakshina Kannada, including a recent murder that resulted in tensions in the coastal district.
“We have set up SAF on the lines of Anti-Naxal Force (ANF). After Naxals in the state surrendered, we decided to cull out some personnel from the ANF who are already trained in combat operations and intelligence gathering and create SAF. It is a first of its kind in India. SAF will act against communal provocation, hate speeches against different communities. Till now we were into soft peddling when there was a communal disturbance which did not work out. Hence, we had to use some force to control it and the only aim of the government is ensuring peace and communal harmony. We also appeal to people to maintain peace. If necessary, we will extend it to other regions too,” the minister said.
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that there will not be any political interference on SAF. “We are not against anyone. We will soon convene a peace meeting of leaders of all communities, elected representatives and other stakeholders within 10 days,” Rao said.
Karnataka DG&IGP MA Saleem said that the 248-member Special Action Force will be headquartered in Mangaluru and each unit will have 78 members. The force will be equipped with advanced intelligence, rapid response capabilities and a deep focus on community engagement, he said.
SAF is headed by a Deputy Inspector-General of Police-level officer and presently Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy will lead it which will work in coordination with IGP(Western Range) Amit Singh. The SAF consists of 15 officers, including a SP, DSP, an Assistant Commandant, police inspector, PSI, three head constables and six police constables.
SAF has been created weeks after three incidents in a gap of a month — mob lynching of a person named Ashraf, murder of former VHP worker Suhas Shetty and a sand exporter named Abdul Rahiman.
Home Minister Dr G Parames-hwara said that the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) will not be dissolved. “We have not dissolved ANF but cut down its strength and created the Special Action Force. Although ANF is not currently required, as Naxals have surrendered in our state, we have decided to retain it for potential future use,” he said.
On the investigation into the murder of Rahiman and mob lynching of Ashraf, he said that a detailed probe is ongoing, which might last more than a month. On handing over Suhas Shetty murder case to NIA, he said, “NIA has the mandate to take over cases and has written to the State Government in this case, so we are obligated to hand it over.
However, in the Rahiman case, the NIA did not make such a request. We are unsure why they have specifically asked for the Suhas Shetty murder case. That said, our police are capable and efficient enough to investigate such cases,” he said.