BANGALORE: In a few days from now, carbine-totting policemen will be seen patrolling the Karnataka High Court.

One police constable equipped with a carbine is already patrolling the premises, and soon, all the 12 constables on watch duty in the corridors of the sprawling building will be equipped with carbines.

The carbines will replace the .303 rifles that constables have been using for long. These are lighter and more accurate at close range. In the case of .303 rifles, which are more effective at long range, a fresh bullet has to loaded once it is fired. With the carbine, several rounds can be fired at the press of the trigger.

As of now, a few constables have been trained in using the carbine. They are being trained in firing the weapon, assembling and dismantling it at the Police Training Centre in Channapatna in Bangalore Rural district.

The constables are handed over the sophisticated weapon only after they receive training for months on handling it. Apart from the 12 carbines, the police station at the High Court will have three e sten guns.

The new weapons are being introduced as part of a proposal to upgrade security at the High Court and surrounding buildings including Vidhana Soudha, Vikasa Soudha, Raj Bhavan and Legislator's House.

The city police have come up with several changes to upgrade security in buildings around the Vidhana Soudha. Police officials say the attempt made three weeks ago by miscreants to fell sandal wood trees in the house of Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph on Palace Road led to a review of security.

Sources said it has been decided at a meeting that the police personnel will patrol the High Court throughout the day and keep a watch on the entry of the public. As many as 14 will be armed with rifles, and one person will be provided a sten gun.

Earlier, most of the policemen were posted in the corridors of the High Court building. But it was felt that they were being wasted there.

They have now been asked to do the patrolling instead. There are 55 policemen at the High Court police station.

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