Weak policing in the State keeps resulting in rising crimes against the minors, in particular, and women, in general, in Uttarakhand over the past few years. With police and administration failing to check violence against minors and women, Devbhoomi — Uttarakhand is hailed — seems to have turned into a devils’ refuge.
Things are getting compounded for the peace-loving people with the State Government failing to give strong message to the offenders who continue predating on them with impunity.
People are outraged over the spiraling crime graph. If the people have pelted stones on the cavalcade of the Chief Minster Harish Rawat it is just a manifestation of the long pent-up collective anger, said former Uttarakhand Women Commission chairperson Sushila Baluni while talking to The Pioneer over the phone on Friday.
She appealed to the State Government to form a fast -track court to give maximum punishment to the offenders of gang-rape-cum-murder of a seven-year-old girl in Haldwani as the incident is unprecedented in terms of brutality in the history of the region.
Baluni advised Chief Minister Rawat to take strong measures to stop crimes against the women and instilling sense of security among the women, in particular, and residents of the State, in general.
She further said that Uttarakhand, celebrated for its spiritual legacy and tradition of peace, attracts the tourists. “The people here are accustomed to living in peace. They are hailed for nurturing warmth of hospitality. But now things are reversing. The people are feeling insecure. The tourists are shunning the State. What is kept in store is beyond the realm of our imagination if things are allowed to remain the same”, she said.
With violence against minor girls and women spiraling across the State, the Government seems to have made it a habit of promising the residents about taking measures to prevent crimes. However, these prove mere sweet-sounding platitudes, shorn of the will to enforce them on the ground.
Observers opined that the failure of the police to execute patrolling, community policing and other effective tools of policing is responsible for the recent spurt in crimes.
“The gang rape and murder of the seven- year- old girl is a glaring instance of insensitivity on the part of some leaders and bureaucrats. A few days back, murder and rape befell the State. locals from Chakrata region murdered a man and raped and murdered a woman-both tourists. Where are we moving nowIJ And more importantly, what the Government is doing to arrest the trend of crime feeding on crimesIJ” an observer asked.
Importantly, police headquarter report on missing persons in the State since its inception in 2000 revealed that 1809 cases of minors gone missing were reported in various police stations in the State and around 230 minors are still untraced. However, 1576 were rescued by the police.
Out of 4015 reports of missing women in various police stations in the State, 680 are still untraced. Over the past few years, there has been a spurt in cases of missing women and minors as compared to the preceding couple of years, police sources said.