'Karnataka mulling anti-terrorist squad'

The Karnataka government is contemplating an anti-terrorist squad in the state to curb terrorism and the land mafia's operations.

Revealing this at Dharwad on Sunday, Karnataka home minister M P Prakash said he had already discussed the matter with Union home minister Shivaraj Patil.

Speaking to reporters at the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) where the buildings for the circuit bench of the high court are being constructed, Prakash said the state police had established contact with Interpol and other international agencies to arrest the underworld dons controlling the land mafia in Karnataka.

"We have contacted the police in USA, Pakistan, Dubai and other countries to trace the culprits and arrest them," Prakash said.

He said law would be suitably amended to set up a separate anti-terrorist squad for Bangalore city.

The home minister said the construction of buildings for the high court circuit bench would be completed by February next.

He informed that the chief justice of Karnataka High Court had shown an inclination towards starting the circuit bench's functioning at the existing WALMI building before the new building is ready.

The lawyers in Dharwad have been demanding that the circuit bench should start functioning at the existing building and could be shifted to new building once it is ready.