Shri Shankar Bidari was born in Galagali village of Bilagi Taluka in Bagalkot District on 27th August, 1954. He hails from a middle class family of Banahatti in Jamkhandi Taluk. His father Shri Mahadevappa Bidari was an agriculturist and Secretary of a weaver’s Co-op. Society.

After his education in Government Kannada Boys’ School, Banahatti and S.R.A. High School, Banahatti, he joined G.I. Bagewadi College, Nipani and passed P.U.C. in 1970. Later he joined Posts and telegraphs Department and served as a Telephone Operator from 26th July, 1971 to 31st January, 1977. Meanwhile, he obtained B.A. degree in Economics, as an external candidate from the Karnataka University in 1975. He was selected as Probationary Assistant Commissioner in the K.A.S. by the K.P.S.C. He joined service as Prob. Assistant Commissioner on 07.02.1977. After initial training at Mysore, he underwent District training in Gulbarga. In 1978 he was selected for the Indian Police Service and he joined I.P.S. in July 1978 and was allotted to the Karnataka State.

SHRI SHANKAR MAHADEV BIDARI has earned a formidable reputation as a dynamic, dedicated, brave and capable officer right from the beginning of his service. As ASP he suppressed gambling and illegal activities with a heavy hand, displayed rare courage, confidence and ability. He handled serious law and order problems in the face of risk to his life and excelled in prevention, detection and investigation of crimes. He served with distinction as SP in Mandya, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Bellary, Railway Police and Dharwad Districts and brought about impressive improvement in the Police administration of these districts.

In 1982 he was hand-picked to serve as SP Mandya District when the district was seriously afflicted by communal disturbances, farmers agitations, labour agitations and caste conflicts. By his hard work, bravery, administrative and investigation skills and ability to lead his men, he restored order in Mandya District and ensured that General Elections to the Assembly in 1982 were held peacefully. In 1988, when Tumkur District was in flames on account of a dispute in a religious institution, he was posted as SP Tumkur District. He dealt with the situation boldly and impartially with a firm hand and restored order in the district.

In 1990 as SP Bellary, he ensured that his district remained as the only incident-free district when all the districts in the state were affected by serious and widespread communal disturbances in the wake of Ram Shila Yatra. His role in suppression of antiTamil riots in 1991 in the wake of notification of interim award of the Cauvery Tribunal and implementation of the Supreme Court Orders in the Kabini Dam area in 2002 earned widespread appreciation.

He organised, supervised and personally led the investigation in the sensational and serious cases like the Mahalakshmi Train Dacoity cases, nation-wide racket of diversion of railway wagons, arrest of a number of dacoity gangs and detection of more than 200 dacoities which had taken place through out South India, cases of highway dacoities in Bellary District and arrest of several other gangs of robbers, chain snatchers, smugglers and the racket of smuggling of ammunition to PWG in Andhra Pradesh from Goa, large scale theft of components in HMT factory and numerous burglaries and chain snatching cases.

As DCP Headquarters, Bangalore City, he played a key role in the arrest of LTTE militants Shivarasan and Shuba who were wanted in Rajiv Gandhi murder case. With a small team, he traced and arrested 10 ULFA militants who were hiding in Bangalore City and wanted by Assam Police. In September 1990, he made a bold attempt to nab a wanted terrorist of Andhra Pradesh by name Bimala Naik who was hiding in a farm house near Bellary and in the encounter, Bimala Naik was killed. He served as an Escort Officer to late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India during the SAARC Summit in 1986.

In February 1993, he was posted as Commander, Task Force, Malaimahadeshwara Hills to trace and arrest the notorious sandalwood smuggler, elephant poacher and killer Veerappan and his gang members when the force was totally demoralized after repeated terrorist acts committed by the gang. In this challenging assignment, he worked hard in a systematic manner with zeal, determination, courage and gallantry in extremely difficult circumstances in hostile and difficult terrain for a period of three and half years. He led his force from the front against the gang in a number of encounters. The gang which was having more than 150 members, 135 firearms and 3 tonnes of explosives in 1993 was decimated to 5 members by April 1996. Under his leadership, 60 gang members were killed in various encounters and 126 gang members and harbourers were arrested and 58 cases were registered and investigated and charge sheeted. Four of the arrested gang members were convicted to death sentence by the Supreme Court. He recovered more than 3 tones of explosives and 126 fire arms. Fortitude, courage, gallantry, investigation, intelligence and leadership skills, displayed by him in this operation are exemplary and unprecedented in the annals of the Indian Police. For his outstanding work, the Government of Karnataka rewarded his team with a cash reward of Rs.8 crores and a personal reward of Rs.160 lakhs. In recognition of the conspicuous courage and gallantry displayed by him in the operations, he was awarded the First Bar to the police Medal for Gallantry by the President, on the Republic Day, 2011.

He was selected to serve as Dy. Inspector General of Police, Intelligence in June, 1996. He was promoted to the rank of Inspector General of Police in 1998 and was continued in the Intelligence branch as IGP. As DIGP Intelligence, he formulated the proposals for the formation of seven districts and ably assisted the then Chief Minister late Shri J.H.Patel with intelligence inputs in the field of maintenance of law and order, prevention of communal incidents, matters related to Cauvery river water dispute and sharing of Krishna river water, with drought situation and administration of the State. He streamlined the efforts to deal with and detect the foreigners over-staying in India.

He visited Israel, France and United Kingdom as a member of the State Government Delegation and studied the police systems in these countries in 1996. He also visited USA as a member of the Central Government Delegation and studied the AntiTerrorist measures taken in the USA in the year 2003.

In October 1999, he was posted as IGP, Planning, Research and Special Units. He attended to the work of planning and reallocation of the Police Force, creation of new Police Stations and improvements of the State Police administration.

In the year 2000, he was posted as IGP, KSRP. He attended to the work of providing infrastructure to all KSRP battalions and improving the discipline, morale and expertise of the Karnataka State Reserve Police. In 2002, he was specially deputed to deal with a serious agitation of farmers in the context of the orders of the Cauvery River Water Dispute Tribunals, at Kabbini Dam in H.D.Kote Taluk of Mysore District. He handled this agitation with distinction and earned encomiums from the Justice Mohd. Anwar Commission of Inquiry.

In 2004, he was posted as IGP, Central Range. He improved the administration of the districts in Central Range and supervised the bandobust arrangements for elections to the Grama Panchayats, Taluk Panchayats and Zilla Panchayats. He supervised the investigation in Nelamangala liquor tragedy cases and ensured the arrest of all the persons who were responsible for the liquor tragedy. He took initiative and detected large-scale cultivation of poppy in Kolar District.

He was promoted as ADGP in August 2005 and was posted as ADGP Administration in the State Police Headquarters. As ADGP Administration, he brought about impressive improvement in the administration of the State Police Department.

He was posted as ADGP, Law and Order in June, 2006. As ADGP Law and Order, he took initiative to curb and control the activities of the Maoists in the Malnad districts of the State and to improve the performance of the Anti Naxalite Force. A number of Maoists were arrested and some of them were killed in the encounters with the Police parties. He put down rowdyism in Shimoga and Belgaum districts with a firm hand. He paid special attention to restoration of communal harmony and suppression of communal elements in the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada (Mangalore). He organized and supervised the bandobust arrangements in connection with the agitation that took place in the wake of publication of final award of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal. He organized and supervised bandobust arrangements in connection with the General Elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in May, 2008 and ensure that the elections were conducted in an exemplary manner and peacefully. It is to his credit that during his tenure as ADGP, Law and Order, not a single incident of Police firing took place in the State of Karnataka. He strived hard to establish the Coastal Security Police on a sound footing. He handled the spurious liquor tragedy, which claimed 200 lives, with dexterity and courage and ensured that all the culprits were brought to book.

After a brief stint as ADGP, Intelligence for a period of one month, he tookup the responsibility of serving as Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City on 11th July, 2008. As Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City, has maintained peace, law and order and communal harmony in Bangalore City for the period of 2½ years and maintained the city free from any law and order or communal incidents. He brought about unprecedented improvement in the prevention and detection of property offences and recovery of stolen property. The recovery of the stolen property in the year 2010 in Bangalore City was more than 86% which is a record not only in the country but also in the world. He implemented many innovative measures successfully, like communication of the status of the investigation and prosecution of all cognizable cases to the complainant by SMS, supply of fuel to Police vehicles by petro cards, which has resulted in savings of more that Rs.1 crore per month and held Jana Samparka Sabhas on 3 days in a week with Women Counsellors in attendance to redress the grievances of the public. He brought about impressive improvement in the functioning of the City Police.

He was posted for a brief period as ADGP, Railways in the month of May, 2011. He was promoted to the rank of Director General of Police and posted as DGP, CID in August, 2011. As DGP, CID Karnataka, he super v i sed the investigation of many sensational cases including a case referred by the Hon’ble High Court regarding scam in Karnataka Public Service Commission. He was appointed as DG & IGP (Head of the Police Force) Karnataka in November, 2011. As head of the Karnataka State Police Force he extended the Arogya Bhagya Health Scheme to the parents of serving Police personnel and got the Government approval for enhancement of the ex-gratia payment to the families of the Policemen who die while in service from Rs.3 Lakhs to Rs. 10 Lakhs. He brought about all round improvement in the working of the Karnataka State Police. In the month of March 2012, he was transferred from the post of the DG & IGP (Head of the Police Force) on account of a High Court Order which held him responsible for alleged violation of certain human rights. He preferred an appeal in the Hon’ble Supreme Court which gave the judgment in his behalf. He retired from service after 42 years of distinguished service, in May 2012.

He is decorated with :

i. Karnataka Chief Minister’s Gold Medal in 1989
ii. Andhra Pradesh Mukyamantri Shourya Padakam in 1990.
iii. Karnataka Chief Minister’s Gold Medal for the 2nd time in 1991.
iv. The Police Medal for Gallantry in 1991.
v. President’s Police Medal for Meritorious service in 1995.
vi. President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2003.
vii. First Bar to the Police Medal for Gallantry in 2011.

For the last 42 years, he has served the State with honesty, sincerity, dedication and zeal of a very high order and has displayed outstanding investigation skills, courage, dedication and leadership qualities. His performance in the Police Administration, maintenance of law and order, communal harmony, protection of weaker sections, prevention and detection of crimes, VIP Security, Police Welfare and anti terrorist operations has been consistently outstanding.

Many reputed institutions and associations all over the State have honoured him with titles like “ V i s h w a s h r i”, ‘ K a y a k a s h r i”, “Basawashri” award carrying a cash component of Rs.5 Lakhs by Shree Murga Mutt, Chitradurga in the year 2012 in recogoni t ion of hi s distinguished service to the society, “Ti p p u Su l t a n A wa r d ”, “Sr i Vishveshwaraiah Award”, ‘Pride of Karnataka”, ‘Shishunala Shariff Awrd”, ‘Kumara Rama Award”, Karnatakashri Award”, “Mallikarjun Mansoor Award”, “Sangolli Rayanna award”, “Dr. Ambedkar Award”,. In recognition of his public services, he was conferred the Hon. Degree “Doctor of Laws” by the Gulbarga University in February, 2012. 20. He is married to Dr. Umadevi Bidari, M.B.B.S., DGO who served in the Karnataka Health Department as a Specialist upto 2001. He is blessed with a daughter and a son. His daughter Smt. Vijayalakshmi Bidari Prasanna secured 1st rank in the Civil Services Examination -2001 and is now serving as an IAS officer in Maharastra State. His son-in-law Shri Mallikarjuna Prasanna is also an IPS officer of 2000 batch and is now serving as Superintendent of Police, Satara District in Maharashtra. His son Shri Vijayendra Bidari is serving as an IPS officer in Tamilnadu State. His daughter-in-law Smt. Rohini Bidari is an IAS officer of 2008 batch and is now serving in Tamilnadu.