An increase in the “unlawful activities” of the gangsters has compelled the Punjab police to set up a specialised unit to tighten the noose around the gangs active not only in Punjab but also in the neighbouring States.
To deal with the increased activities of gangs and gangsters, the State police has set up an Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) under its intelligence wing which will be headed by Inspector General (IG) Nilabh Kishore.
The specialised unit has been entrusted with the task of preparing a dossier of all the gangsters and their gangs active in the State. “The unit would collect the complete information regarding the gangs and the people connected with it…entire information regarding each gangster will be collected at the State level,” a senior Government functionary told The Pioneer.
The specialised unit was set up in the wake of the recent increase in their activities “which is not only limited to Punjab alone, but also in the neighbouring States”.
“A senior officer will be able to work on this…he will be responsible for coordinating with the neighboring State police,” said the Government functionary.
The State Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora had, during the previous Government, admitted that there is presence of total 57 gangs across the State and they have more than 400 gangsters or sharp-shooters. Out of these, more than 100 were operating from the prisons.
The latest figures, released by the Punjab police in March this year, show that as many as 22 organised gangs are operating in Punjab, with a total of about 240 gangsters, out of which 137 are lodged in jails., while 22 gangsters are still absconding.
In the recent past, the law and order situation in the State has witnessed a dip after the formation of the Congress Government, especially with the increase in the activities of the gangsters, including gang-wars, day-light killings, robberies, dacoities, kidnappings, among other things.
To deal with the same, the State Government is mulling to revive the proposal for the controversial Punjab Control of Organised Crime Act (PCOCA), enacted on the lines of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
Sources maintained that the Government is planning to place the proposal before the Cabinet to rein in the gangsters, giving tough time to the State Government. To tackle the gangsters on the loose in the State, the Punjab police has also come up with ‘one cop, one gangster’ strategy.
For the same, 35 nodal officers have been appointed who will be deputed against 35 gangsters, whose list has been prepared by the State police, for keeping track of their activities.
“Each officer will keep track of one gangster…and each nodal officer will report to a team headed by a senior officer. Of 35 gangsters, 21 are proclaimed offenders,” the state Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), law and order, Rohit Choudhary had said.
Chaudhary had added that the idea was to keep watch on them, and giving them a chance to improve, give up all anti-social activities and return to the mainstream.
In this direction, the state police has also started a rehabilitation programme for the gangsters, who are not involved in dreaded crimes, but are on the list of repeated offenders.
The move, aimed at winning over the confidence of gangsters, and their family members, to bring them back into social mainstream, is a part of the multi-pronged strategy chalked out recently to counter the activities of gangsters which are getting serious day by day, said a top police official.
In this regard, the ADGP (law and order) has sent a circular to all IGs, DIGs and SSPs. Under this, the police would take the help of the social media to connect with such “wrongdoers”, know their problems. Besides youth committees will be formed. “Such criminals would be provided connselling and effort would be made to bring them back to the mainstream,” a police official said.