Tough goons, tougher cops

In the past six months, the police have managed to nab or gun down notorious criminals in seven encounters

In the past six months, the police have managed to nab or gun down notorious criminals in seven encounters

Are the city's cops getting tougher by the day? Following a recent encounter in which a policeman pulled out his service revolver, shot at and injured a wanted goon, MiD DAY takes a look at the evolution of the city police into a force that criminals must begin to fear, if not already.

In the last six months, there have been seven such shootouts by police officers, including senior inspectors.
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Only recently, the Bangalore additional police commissioner, Gopal Hosur, instructed junior police officials to spare no anti-social element in the city. The cop in Sunday's incident had never aimed a gun at a suspect earlier.

The cops' main targets have been chain snatchers and other anti-social elements, and in all cases, the police have caught the accused. Johnson Anjanappa, a notorious criminal, was killed by the police earlier this year.

Smoking guns of city police

Mohammed Rafi
Attached to: Mahadevapura police station
Years in service: 11
Encounter attempts: 2
Successes: 2
In the past six months, PI Rafi has caught two criminals. In February, he fired twice at Namaraj Bahaddur Thapa, a burglar who has stolen over Rs 80 lakh. Thapa presented stiff resistance and injured Rafi, but was eventually nabbed. In a joint operation with the HSR Layout police in April, he and Rajesh managed to kill Anjanappa, an inter-state robber and killer, in an adrenaline-filled chase followed by a shootout.

LY Rajesh
Attached to: HSR Layout police station
Years in service: 9
Encounter attempts: 2
Successes: 2
On August 13, PI Rajesh arrested Ravindra Kumar Pandit, a burglar who hails from Bihar, when he had broken into the house of a fashion designer and was going to assault her.
A gunbattle ensued, in which Rajesh and his subordinate Venugopal were grievously injured. However, Rajesh shot Pandit in the arm and arrested him.
u00a0"We never try to kill the criminals. Though we have strong laws against crime, criminals don't give two hoots about them. I had to take drastic measures to protect my men from the ruthless criminals," Rajesh said.


The Additional Police Commissioner Gopal Hosur has instructed officials to spare no
anti-social element in the city.

BG Ratnakar
Attached to: Chamrajpeth police station
Years in service: 20
Encounter attempts: 4
Successes: 4
On Sunday, PI Ratnakar arrested Soma alias Gedde Soma, a notorious criminal involved in 200 robberies, two murders and several attempt to murder cases.

ML Purushottam
Attached to: Madival police station
Years in service: 11
Encounter attempts: 2
Successes: 2
In January, PI Purushottam caught two criminals, Ambarish and Venugopal when they were robbing a couple. He asked them to surrender, but they started to flee. In the process, the police had to fire at them to nab them. He said, "We have to take extreme steps only in some operations. But our intention is to capture the criminals alive."