Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada district police, in coordination with the district administration, has identified 36 individuals for externment from the district limits following their repeated involvement in communal offences and activities that threaten public peace and order, official sources said on Monday.

The individuals have been flagged by various police stations across the district based on their criminal history and involvement in communal disturbances, they said.

According to sources, recommendations for externment have been sent from police stations under Bantwal Rural, Bantwal Town, Vitla, Puttur Town and Rural, Uppinangady, Punjalkatte, Belthangady, Sullia, and Bellare jurisdictions.

The externment process, governed under the Karnataka Police Act, is typically initiated against habitual offenders whose presence is deemed prejudicial to law and order.

A senior police officer from the district said, “The individuals shortlisted have a record of repeated communal offences, and the proposal for externment has been forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner for further legal process.” Among those identified are persons ranging from their early twenties to mid-fifties. The list includes individuals previously arrested or chargesheeted in cases involving communal violence, unlawful assembly, and breach of peace, he said.

Many are considered habitual offenders who have been under constant police watch, he added.

According to the officer, the externment, once approved, would bar these individuals from entering the district for a specified period, typically six months to a year.

“This measure is preventive in nature, aimed at deterring the recurrence of communal tension, especially in sensitive areas,” he added.

The move comes in the backdrop of rising concerns over communal polarisation in certain parts of the coastal district, which has witnessed repeated flare-ups over the past few years.

The final decision rests with the district magistrate after reviewing police reports, individual case files, and potential objections or representations from the accused parties, officials added.