ABOUT 4,000 FAMILIES FROM 82 COUNTRIES RESIDE IN MYSORE: DCP MALAGATTI

Disciplinary action against three cops in Foreigners' Registration Office

Mysore, June 26 (KK&KMC)- The City Police initiated disciplinary action against three of their personnel working in Foreigners' Registration Office (FRO) at the Office of the Police Commissioner, on charges of corruption and rude behaviour with foreigners. The action is based on repeated complaints by foreigners regarding the problems being faced by them pertaining to issue of passports, foreigners' registration certificate extension and exit permit, etc.

It is learnt that DCP (Law and Order) Basavaraj Y. Malagatti, who also is the Foreigners' Registration Officer, had recently pulled up Head Constable Subramanya and constables Mallikarjuna and Raghavendra on charges of corruption and rude behaviour and initiated action against them. They have been transferred elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the DCP has also given training to Police personnel working in the FRO on how to behave with the foreigners so that they have a good impression of India and its people. It is

Around 4,000 foreigners from 82 countries are living in the city, with many of them learning yoga and pursuing academics. Most of them hail from Iran, Maldives, Yemen and Tanzania, according to the DCP who said that a large number of tourists from America, Britain and Japan also visit Mysore to learn yoga.

It may be recalled the DCP had earlier taken action against two Iranian nationals — Masoud Keramati and Mohamed Reza Ali Akbar Jalali — for producing fake certificates to obtain student visa and to register the passport with the FRO.

According to statistics, entry of as many as 1,647 foreigners in 2009 and 2,037 foreigners in 2010 were registered. Everyday, about 80 to 100 foreigners visit the FRO for passport registration, extension of stay in India, exit permit and other reasons.