A 50-year-old Bengaluru sub-inspector has been selected for the President’s Medal for his meritorious service during his half-a-decade stint in the Basavanagudi Traffic Police station. He is among the 19 police officers from Karnataka to be selected for the medal. The awardee list was announced by the Central Home Ministry on the eve of Republic Day.
He has been honoured for recording 680 incidents of drinking and driving during his five-year stint.
The Times of India reported that K Venkatesh was among the 14 traffic police staff who were accorded the medal. The report said Venkatesh has dedicated his award to his colleague and family members.
Speaking to TOI, Venkatesh said that offenders of drinking and driving cases don’t realise that apart from putting their own lives at risk, they also endanger others’ lives. He said by catching the offenders, the traffic police personnel save lives.
The report also said that in 2000, during his stint in Upparpet, the Magistrate had appreciated him for providing sufficient proof to convict drinking and driving cases. Later in Basavanagudi, too, the 25th Additional City Civil and Sessions judge gave him an appreciation letter in 2019. He was the first in the police station to collect Rs 1.3 lakh as fines in the department.
Venkatesh has also worked for the special branch and the state intelligence department.
He had also, incidentally, saved the life of a farmer in 2016, who had consumed poison in front of the Chief Minister’s residence.
His colleagues know Venkatesh as a charitable man, who would spend his own money to support children from economically backward families with school uniforms and bags.
Deccan Herald reported he is among the 19 officers from the state to be awarded the prestigious medal this year.
Here is a full list of Karnataka officers who have been named for the meritorious service
1. BN Oblesh, Supdt. of Police, BMTF, Bengaluru
2. KM Mahadeva Prasad, Comdt.. IRB, Munirabad
3. MG Pampapathi, ACP, Marathahalli Sub Dn, Bengaluru City
4. HN Dharmendra, ACP, Vijayanagar Sub Dn, Bengaluru City
5. ST Chandrashekar, Dy.SP CID, Bengaluru
6. Shankar M Ragi, ACP, North Sub-dvn, Hubbali City
7. C Siddaraju, DSP, SIT, KLA, Bengaluru
8. AG Kariappa, DSP,SIT, KLA, Bengaluru
9. Sangappa S. Hullur, Dy.SP. Kalaburagi Rural Sub Dn, Kalaburagi D
10. AV Lakshminarayana, DSP, Magadi Sub Dn, Ramanagar Dist.
11. BG Shankarappa, PI, CID, Bengaluru
12. BS Satish, PI, ACB P.S., Udupi Dist.
13. Babusingh H. Kittur, PSI, FPU, Hubli-Dharwad City
14. K Venkatesh, ASI, Basavanagudi Tr. P.S. Bengaluru City
15. S. Sukumar, ASI, Rural P.S., Chikkamagaluru
16. Rajkumar. ARSI, DAR, Mysore
17. P.S. Shivakumar, HC State Intelligence, Bengaluru
18. G. C. Nanjundaiah, HC, State Intelligence. Bengaluru
19. R. Ranganath, CHC SCRB, Bengaluru