Bengaluru, Dec 31 (IANS): Senior IPS officer Amar Kumar Pande, who played a key role in arresting and bringing back underworld dons Ravi Poojari and Bannanje Raja to India, is retiring on Saturday from the services of Karnataka Police Department.

Pande is serving as the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of State Fire Force and Emergency Services. He is 1989 cadre IPS officer from Bihar and rendered 33 years of service in various positions in the state police department.

Pande started ambulance services on highways and saved hundreds of lives during his tenure as the SP of Dharwad. When he was IGP of Central Zone, the police carried out an encounter of the notorious Bettanagere Seena in Bengaluru Rural District.

The encounter had brought down the criminal and mafia activities in the region. Pande has played an important role in the arresting of terror suspect Mehdi Biswas, who was allegedly handling the social media account of terror outfit ISIS. Pande was heading the Internal Security Division (ISD).

He was the mastermind behind the operation to bring back international dons Ravi Poojari and Bannanje Raja, who were holed up in foreign countries.

Pande was honoured with the President Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Chief Minister Medal for meritorious services and many awards. Pande has also penned four books in the English language.