From Traffic Super Cop To Karnataka's DGP: The Journey Of MA Saleem
Saleem is known as a man respected for his calm authority, people-friendly approach, and tackling a monster many governments have had to deal with: Bengaluru's traffic management
Saleem is best known for introducing one-way systems on a record 122 roads to decongest traffic. (Saleem's Website)
When the official confirmation arrived that Dr MA Saleem was appointed the new Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) of Karnataka, many of his peers and friends in the department said he was the right man for the job.
Born on June 25, 1966, Saleem hails from Chikkabanavara, located in northern Bengaluru. He is a 1993-batch IPS officer who will now take charge as the 42nd DG&IGP of the state, a post he has reached after a long and eventful career marked by innovative ideas for people-first policing.
But his appointment hasn't come without a ripple or two. Saleem's elevation has meant superseding a senior officer, DGP of Fire and Emergency Services Prashant Kumar Thakur. However, sources within the government indicate that Saleem was a strong frontrunner, with his track record in administrative efficiency in handling operational posts and effective policing tipping the scales in his favour.
What makes Saleem stand out is not just his rank, but his reputation.
Within the ranks of the Karnataka Police, Saleem is known as a man respected for his calm authority and people-friendly approach. 'Junior officers admire him, seniors trust him, and the constabulary relates to him," one officer said, adding that 'he's a low-profile officer, never showy. But his work speaks".
Back in 2022, when Bengaluru made global headlines for being the second-slowest city in the world in terms of average traffic speed, it became a national embarrassment and also made international headlines. The average speed during peak hours had dropped to a crawl of less than 18 kmph.
The then chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who held charge of Bengaluru development, set traffic management as a top priority. The Bommai government brought in Saleem for a rare second stint as Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic)—on a specially created post—with the responsibility given to him to once again do what he had done earlier: manage Bengaluru's traffic chaos.
'He (Saleem) is the right candidate for the post. He has vast experience in handling Bengaluru's traffic and has a PhD in traffic management as well," Praveen Sood, who was then DGP Karnataka, had told News18.
Saleem's doctorate degree was on his pet subject—traffic management. He obtained it from Bangalore University in 2010, and his thesis was 'Traffic Management in Metropolitan Cities: A framework to provide sustainable strategies to overcome traffic congestion and ensure greater safety on road."
Saleem is best known for introducing one-way systems on a record 122 roads to decongest traffic. Apart from this, he created 'Safe Routes to School', Automated Traffic Challaning System, the Public Eye' initiative for citizen-led enforcement, and Local Area Traffic Management Plans to decentralise traffic management.
His earlier tenure had already seen the introduction of helmet and seat belt enforcement, display cards for auto drivers, and citizen engagement programmes—all with one aim: making traffic management less about punishment and more about participation.
A personal episode of this reporter is an anecdote that captures his people-first approach. At a private event, a young child met Saleem who was introduced as the traffic commissioner and a senior police officer. Hearing the word 'police", the child took a step back and held the mother's hand firmly. Gently, Saleem crouched down and said: 'You shouldn't be scared of the police. We are your friends." Then he turned to the mother and said, 'We have to build trust in the police. That is how people, and even kids, will feel safer."
Another senior colleague of Saleem recounts an incident that spoke of his character as a police officer.
Back in 2006, when a speeding BMTC Volvo bus ploughed into a crowded bus shelter near HAL Airport Road, killing two and injuring 20, a furious mob went on a rampage—torching vehicles, attacking police, and bringing the entire area to a standstill.
The senior officer who was present that day recalled, 'Saleem sir was DCP Traffic then. But he rushed to the spot with me, knowing fully well that it was technically not his jurisdiction — it was a law and order situation. But he showed up, stood with us, helped control the mob, and ensured that backup forces could enter the area. He never for a minute thought that it was an issue of traffic or law and order to handle — it was only about being a police officer."
Saleem also launched 'Aasare" helplines for the elderly, 'Spandana" for women, 'Makkala Sahayavani" for children, and the 'Garuda" police patrol system. He was instrumental in developing the Special Action Force in several districts and introduced Simputers for traffic enforcement in Bengaluru long before digital policing became the norm.
'He started Makkala Sahayavani when he was SP—a helpline exclusively for children. It was such a hit that we SPs in other districts replicated it immediately," said DGP Pronab Mohanty, who served in another district as an SP.
As Director General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Karnataka, he headed the CID and has overseen several high-profile and sensational Special Investigation Teams (SITs), including the IMA fraud case involving over 74,000 victims; the multi-crore cryptocurrency hacking cases; the Hassan multi-sexual harassment case; the misappropriation of Rs 94 crore at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation; the Police Sub-Inspector Recruitment Scam; and the sexual harassment and extortion allegations against a sitting MLA, among others.
He was also awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (2017), the Medal for Meritorious Service (2009), a National Award for e-Governance, and the IRTE Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for his contributions to road safety.
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Bengaluru, India, India
First Published:
May 22, 2025, 11:35 IST
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