Pramesh S Jain
Joint Commissioner of Police (West) C.Vamshikrishna, will head a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government to conduct a comprehensive probe into the Tavarekere police drug racket case involving alleged offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Copyright Act.
The SIT has been formed to investigate case registered at Tavarekere Police Station in Bengaluru South district under Sections 276 and 318(4) of the BNS and Sections 51 and 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957.
The team comprises Vamshikrishna as its head,along with Bengaluru Superintendent of Police,Shiva Prakash Devaraju,CID Superintendent of Police,Lokesh B. Jagalasar,Assistant Drug Controller,Manjunath Reddy, Assistant Drug Controller,Namrata Hallur of Bengaluru South district and Drug Inspector,Neha Murki.
The government order dated August 20 places the SIT under the supervision of the Additional Director General of Police,Law and Order.
In a significant move,the government has declared the SIT as a police station under Section 2(1)(u) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS),2023,with jurisdiction across Karnataka for investigating the case and related offences.
The SIT has also been authorised to take over the investigation of the Tavarekere case and any other related criminal cases registered at police stations elsewhere in Karnataka.
Its investigating officers have been empowered under Section 193 of the BNSS to submit police reports before the competent courts,the order stated .
The team will use resources available with the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner’s Office and Bengaluru South District Police Office and will be provided with additional personnel as required.
The SIT has been directed to periodically report its investigation progress to the Director General and Inspector General of Police through the ADGP,Law and Order,and submit its final investigation report to the competent court.
