Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat has announced a new policing strategy focused on women’s safety, organised crime, cybercrime prevention, visible patrolling and faster responses to public complaints after assuming charge on Friday.
Bhagwat said a specialised ‘Jail Release Watch’ would be introduced to monitor people released from prisons, particularly those linked to gang rivalries, organised crime and retaliatory attacks. The initiative is intended to support preventive policing and help track individuals considered relevant to ongoing law-and-order concerns.
Maintaining law and order, protecting women and curbing cybercrime will be among the Commissioner’s top priorities, according to Telangana Today. He also said investigations would be strengthened through the Eagle wing, while efforts would be made to move narcotics cases to fast-track courts for speedy trials and convictions.
Bhagwat announced strict action under the Preventive Detention Act against habitual offenders and people accused in commercial-quantity drug cases. The move places repeat offending and serious narcotics cases at the centre of the city police’s preventive enforcement strategy.
The Commissioner also declared zero tolerance towards corruption within the police force. Personnel allegedly involved in illegal collections or extortion would face criminal cases in addition to departmental action, he said. Complaints involving land disputes, forged property documents and fake death certificates would receive closer examination.
Other areas identified for special attention include contract killers, interstate criminal gangs, ATM burglars and offences involving domestic workers. The range of priorities indicates that the new police leadership is combining conventional law-and-order enforcement with scrutiny of crimes connected to property, financial activity and organised networks.
Visible policing will be strengthened through regular evening and night patrols, Bhagwat said. The strategy also includes a focus on road safety, with police personnel expected to provide timely assistance to accident victims during the ‘Golden Hour’.
The announcement comes as Hyderabad’s police administration prepares to implement a policing model that combines patrol visibility, targeted monitoring, stronger investigations and action against internal misconduct. The Commissioner’s stated priorities will now depend on how the proposed Jail Release Watch, patrol directions and case-handling measures are operationalised across the city.
