Southern States - Karnataka

Bheemanna Khandre gets police protection

By K.N.Reddy

BIDAR May 24. Bheemanna Khandre, former minister, has been provided with a gunman in the wake of the murder of Suresh Khed, a follower of the Bhalki MLA, Prakash Khandre, on May 10. Two sons of Mr. Khandre — Vijaykumar Khandre and Ishwar Khandre — have been accused of involvement, along with three others, in the murder of Suresh Khed, besides grievously injuring a brother of the MLA, Subash Khandre.

According to police sources, a gunman will be provided to Bheemanna Khandre following a direction from the Director-General of Police in this regard. Mr. Khandre, who met the DGP in Bangalore a few days ago, is said to have sought police protection. A close follower of Mr. Bheemanna Khandre said the latter had rarely sought police protection in 40 years of his political career although several violent incidents took place in the constituency and he was the focal point.

In view of the May 10 incident, security for Mr. Prakash Khandre has been beefed up. He now has two gunmen. It is learnt that a gunman will be provided to Mr. Subash Khandre once he is discharged from a hospital in Hyderabad. "As he is the complainant and also a key witness in the case, his life is in danger,'' the sources said.

Moreover, if and when Dr. Vijaykumar Khandre and Mr. Ishwar Khandre, who are said to be absconding, are given bail, they will be given one gunman each. Mr. Ishwar Khandre was given a gunman following an attempt to attack him at Akka Mahadevi College here a few months ago. But the gunman was withdrawn at his insistence.

Providing security to VIPs has become a bother for the district police. "Although maintaining law and order is our priority, we cannot afford to neglect security to VIPs, mainly political leaders. If something goes amiss, we will face a lot of problems," sources said.

After assuming charge as Superintendent of Police, B.K.Singh withdrew gunmen provided to many VIPs after intelligence reports that there was no threat to them and in some cases the threat perception had been blown out of proportion.

Mr. Singh drastically reduced protection to the former minister, Gurupadappa Nagamarpally, who was given "Z" category protection. He has now been given only two gunmen.

Mr. Singh ordered that except for Mr. Prakash Khandre and the Aurad MLA, Gundappa Vakil, no gunmen be given to the other MLAs. But following pressure from the Home Minister, the police had to continue to provide a gunman to the Hulsoor MLA, Rajendra Varma.

Subseqently, when the City MLA, Rameshkumar Pande, was assaulted during the municipal elections and he started receiving threatening calls, he was provided with a gunman.

Other than legislators, only the Guru Nanak Jhira Committee President, Balbir Singh, and the two sons of Mr. Nagamarpally have been provided with security. Mr. Balbir Singh runs a chain of educational institutions and his father was gunned down by Sikh terrorists from Punjab in the Eighties, is given X category security.

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