Karnataka police open fire on alleged drug dealer after attack on a cop with knife during chase: Report

A suspected drug smuggler allegedly assaulted a head constable with a knife on Saturday when the officer tried to arrest him in Kalaburagi, according to news agency PTI.

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Kalaburagi Police Commissioner Sharanappa S D addressed the media about the incident, revealing that officers managed to corner the suspect after opening fire on him."Earlier today, Inspector Chowk Rajendra acted on a tip-off about a suspicious individual and proceeded to investigate with the crime detection team. Upon being stopped, the suspect exited his vehicle and violently attacked Head Constable Gurumurthy with a knife, inflicting serious injuries," the Commissioner stated.

The suspect has been identified as Supreeth Navale, a resident of Muttampur in Kalaburagi city. Upon searching Navale's vehicle, police discovered he was trafficking Schedule X drugs, including Nitrovet tablets, the Commissioner added.Both Head Constable Gurumurthy and the accused are currently receiving medical treatment and are reported to be in stable condition.

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Further investigation revealed that Navale has been previously implicated in three drug trafficking cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act."Once he recovers, we will take him into custody to uncover his drug supply network and identify his contacts. We have also learned that he has pending cases in Hyderabad. Given the widespread nature of his operations, a detailed investigation will be carried out," the top cop said.

Earlier, the Karnataka Police had launched an app called ‘Drug-Free Karnataka’ to locate and identify ganja farmers and drug peddlers in the state. The app is available on the Google Play Store, and through this app, common people can be police informers.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the government is serious about the drug menace in the state. Earlier, he said, “Many international peddlers have been arrested and deported, and many peddlers have been booked under the Goondas Act. In some cases, police were compelled to resort to shootings. If needed, cops will use force to stop drug usage in the state.”