Karnataka registers nearly 40,000 rowdies, Bengaluru tops the list

As of June 2025, Karnataka has recorded 39,698 individuals classified as rowdies, with Bengaluru alone accounting for 6,249. This figure is over three times higher than Kalaburagi, which follows with 1,934 rowdies. Of the total, 23,016 are considered active, with the rest showing no recent criminal activity.

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Bengaluru and Kalaburagi also lead in active rowdy cases, with 6,210 and 1,475 respectively. Other districts such as Ramanagara (952), Hassan (883), and Tumakuru (856) are also reporting significant numbers. The alarming figures have prompted state-wide crackdowns by Karnataka Police to contain rising criminal activities.

Authorities are utilizing laws like the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA), the Goonda Act, and externment procedures to curb rowdyism. District-level strategies are also underway. In Hubballi-Dharwad, aggressive policing measures, including regular rowdy parades and externment of repeat offenders, have resulted in 84 rowdies being externed in 2025—the highest in the state.

Bengaluru police, meanwhile, invoked KCOCA against over 90 individuals in 2024, leading to their imprisonment. Efforts have also targeted ‘out of view’ (OV) rowdies—those evading surveillance. Between 2023 and 2025, over 750 OV rowdies were traced, bolstering enforcement.

To enhance monitoring, Bengaluru police maintain detailed rowdy tracking through categorized lists and enforce preventive measures through signed undertakings. These efforts reflect a broader commitment to restoring public safety across Karnataka’s urban and semi-urban centres.