The arrest of terror suspects from Karnataka has thrown light upon the inefficiencies of the state’s Anti-Terrorist Squad.

Of the 8 terror suspects have been arrested from Karnataka in the last two months, none of them were arrested by state’s ATS. Instead police from other states including, Anti-Terrorist Squads (ATS) of Mumbai, Hyderabad and New Delhi police, besides the National Investigation Agency (NIA), participated in the operation to nab suspects.

This could possibly be because the anti-terror unit is understaffed. Times of India reported that initially an IGP was in charge of ATS, which comes under Internal Security Division, but the post currently is vacant.

According to the numbers quoted by TOI from Bureau of Police Research and Development, while the state needs to have 3 IGPs overseeing special force dealing with terrorist and insurgents in Karnataka, the state has only one. Over 95% of the sub-inspector posts are vacant. It only has half the number of constable it is actually sanctioned to have.

A former Internal Security Department (ISD) officer told the newspaper that there seems to be a lack of political will to give powers to arrest suspects instead they only relay information.

In fact there is no officer appointed to handle the ISD. Additional DGP T Sunil Kumar, who is in charge of the division, holds additional charge of the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force ­ a civic police force tracking at scandals civic bodies, reported TOI.

“ISD is in charge of networking with its counterparts in different states. For a while, the job was done well. But when a team comes from the different state, instead of coming to ISD, they approach the Central Crime Branch as they have the power to arrest,” said an officer.

This is an aggregated report from Times of India