Why Karnataka Police face dilemma over orders to drop 66 names from rowdy list

The Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority’s recent order to drop the names of 66 people from the rowdy list has put the state police in a sticky wicket.

Among those in the list are seven people, including gangster Sunil Kumar K, alias Silent Sunil, and his associate Rohit alias Onte, involved in organised crimes in Bengaluru, and 59 others accused in other cases in the state.

Silent Sunil 45, has been moving the High Court since 2021 for getting his name deleted from the rowdy lists, citing the legal end of the majority of two dozen cases, including murder, registered against him at various police stations in Bengaluru. He is reportedly attempting to foray into state politics.

The order is a first of its kind since the KSPCA came into existence in 2013 following a Supreme Court order. The three-member Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority is a quasi-judicial agency headed by N K Sudhindra Rao, a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court.

‘Will discuss with DGP, address legal issues’

Seemanth Kumar Singh, Bengaluru Police Commissioner, said they are verifying the legal angle on how it can be handled. “There are names of rowdies from other parts of the state as well. There is no problem that has arisen. We will discuss with the police complaints authority and address the legal complications. There are seven rowdy listed persons from Bengaluru and five who were issued notices; so a total of 12 persons (whose names are sought to be kept out of rowdy lists),” said Seemanth Kumar Singh, Bengaluru Police Commissioner, this week. He said they would discuss the matter with higher authorities, including the director general of police, and address the legal issues.

“This is a sensitive issue since there are court orders on the one hand, and there are also issues of controlling rowdyism for the police. We will take a strict stance,” Singh said.

According to the police, 66 people have petitioned the KSPCA for keeping their names off the rowdy lists. The Authority issued specific orders for dropping the names of 28 people, including seven from Bengaluru and five who have issued notices for inclusion.

Rowdy lists: The purpose

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The rowdy lists, which existed from the Colonial period, are seen as a tool available to the state police as a means to regulate anti-social elements involved in repeated serious organised crimes.

The general period an individual remains on a rowdy list is 10 years before the list is reviewed for dropping names of persons who have stayed away from active crimes. However, in April 2022, the High Court ordered that a review of rowdy lists should be done every two years.

The bench of Justice Krishna Dixit ruled that “it is open to the aggrieved to make a representation at any time after one year of registration, seeking deletion of name from the Rowdy Register based on changed circumstances such as rectitude, good conduct, social/community service, etc,” and that a review should be done in 30 days by the police.

Petition shall be disposed of within 60 days

The High Court ruled that any individual aggrieved by the rejection of his representation or continuation of his name in the Register “may petition the Police Complaints Authority within 30 days. However, no personal hearing shall avail.

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The petition shall be disposed of by recording reasons within an outer limit of 60 days, after considering the material on record or the fresh inputs that may be requisitioned, by the authority,” the court said in 2022.

“The violation of these guidelines shall constitute a major misconduct and an adverse entry on proof thereof shall be made by the disciplinary authority in the Service Register of the erring official after hearing him and a copy thereof shall be marked to the victim of Rowdy Register/History Sheet, without brooking any delay,” the HC said.

The order of the HC opened a Pandora’s box as it gave an opportunity for rowdy-listed persons to seek exclusion of their names, citing loss of personal liberties.

‘KSPCA orders not binding on the police’

According to a view in the police department, the orders of the KSPCA are “not binding” on the police and are “only recommendatory” in nature, and the final prerogative vests with the police on deciding whether individuals have stayed out of the ambit of crime.

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“Many people on the rowdy lists claim to be leading a life away from crime. However, some of them have moved on to white-collar crimes where they use others to perpetrate crimes and do not get involved directly but remain in the shadows,” a police officer said.

‘Silent Sunil’, the garbage contractor

Silent Sunil, 45, has been moving the High Court since 2021 for getting his name deleted from the rowdy lists, citing the legal end of the majority of two dozen cases, including murder, registered against him at various police stations in Bengaluru.

A silent operator, ‘Silent Sunil’ achieved early notoriety through his involvement in multiple crimes – including murders. He has been involved in handling garbage contracts through associates in Bengaluru and has been attempting to enter politics in recent times.

The presence of two Bengaluru BJP MPs at a blood donation camp organised by Silent Sunil in the Chickpet region of Bengaluru in 2022 had created a controversy.

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Regarding the organised crime cases in 2017 against him, the police described Silent Sunil as “the head of an organised crime syndicate” who has been involved in criminal activities since 1996, with 17 cases registered against him – including three cases of murder, five cases of attempt to murder, and cases of extortion and dacoity. A film on the life of Sunil Kumar titled Silent Sunila has been under production.

In December 2025, the Karnataka HC had ordered that Silent Sunil should not be frequently summoned by the Bengaluru police, just because his name figures in the rowdy list.