Bengaluru: Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), Kudligi sub-division of Ballari district, Anupama Shenoy, who was in news in the last two months for being shunted out of the district and later reinstated for keeping the call of Labour Minister P.T. Parmeshwar Naik on hold, was also in the forefront of stopping illegal liquor mafia in her jurisdiction, when she was abruptly transferred on the day the Election Commission announced the code of conduct for Zilla and Taluk Panchayat elections in the state.
The woman officer had after a public meeting by community leaders in October 2015 instructed the sub-inspectors in the eight police stations in her sub-division to stop the illegal sale of liquor and had registered 13 FIRs between November 15 and December 15 in Kudligi, Gudekota, Hossahalli, Kottur, Mariamanhalli, Gadiganoor, Torangal and Sandur police stations. “The DySP had issued a memo to the SIs in the eight police stations instructing them to stop the illicit sale of liquor following which the police had raided the illegal joints from where liquor was being sold to the people,” a source said.
“She had issued a press release in which she had solicited the help of the public to stop the illegal trade and had given her official mobile number. She had received a tremendous response and support from the public. She remains undeterred even now and is continuing with the crackdown on the illegal trade,” the source added.
“Kudligi, considered as one of the most backward subdivisions in the state, is plagued by illegal liquor mafia, which is allegedly being backed by corrupt police and excise officers and politicians. In the absence of legal liquor shops, illegal vendors have mushroomed in the region, who sell liquor at an exorbitant price to villagers. After the ban on mining, illegal liquor mafia has become an alternative source of revenue for corrupt officials and politicians. The DySP along with her team of officials has been working hard to stop it,” said the officer on condition of anonymity.
In fact, on November 11 last year, a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Swamihalli village of Sandur taluk of Ballari district by one Manjunath, who reportedly confessed to the police that he got himself drunk at an illegal liquor joint before committing the crime. A police team, under the supervision of DySP Shenoy, had arrested Manjunath from his village Yeradamannahalli in the taluk.
