India, Feb. 10 -- Madam Commissioner,

Mysuru has long taken pride in being different - calmer, cultured and safer than most cities of comparable size. That belief, however, is now being tested - not by rumours or social media panic, but by a visible and deeply unsettling rise in violent crime, anti-social activities and an unrelenting drug menace.

This open letter is written not out of hostility, but out of genuine civic concern.

Recent murders, repeated attempts to murder and the increasing brazenness of criminal elements are no longer isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a larger breakdown in deterrence.

Citizens are no longer merely reading crime reports; they are adjusting daily routines, restricting movement and living with a...