Is the law and order scenario in Dehradun and Haridwar districts deterioratingIJ
Apart from police officers and administrative officers keeping gunners for their security, half of the total gunners provided by the State Government have been given to political executives and private residents in Haridwar and Dehradun districts. A police officer said that applicants facing security threat can apply for a gunner in their district office. In order to provide gunner to applicants, a committee comprising the district magistrate, district police head, superintendent of police (intelligence) or officer at district level sends proposal to the State Government based on local Intelligence Unit (lIU's) report about security threat claimed by the applicant concerned. After reviewing the security threat, the Government issues gunner to the applicant for six months. District police head can alone provide gunner to applicant based on lIU's report for 15 days and this period can be extended by the district police head.
Statistics reveal that the Government has issued 159 gunners to political executives and private persons in the State, excluding gunners provided to the Chief Minister, Cabinet ministers, senior bureaucrats, ex-CMs and police officers. In Dehradun, 42 gunners have been allocated to political leaders while eight private persons have been given gunner for six months and six persons have been given gunner for 15 days. As per Government order, 46 gunners have been allocated to bureaucrats or police officers in the district.
In Haridwar district, 15 gunners have been allocated to political leaders, three to private persons for six months and to seven persons for 15 days. Most of the murder cases in Dehradun and Haridwar have a link with criminals of Uttar Pradesh. This has exposed the lack of police planning to deal with such murder cases and inadequate security for residents of the State. Recently, taking cognisance of anonymous threatening calls made to the Police Control Room stating that some killers have been given contract to kill Dehradun Suddhowala district jail deputy jailer Rakesh Varma, the Dehradun police have provided a gunner to Varma.
The State DGP BS Sidhu had recently expressed disappointment at increasing murder cases in Haridwar and Dehradun. Sidhu acknowledged that crime has increased in the plains. He had also expressed the inability of the police to check every person entering the State while adding that the district police head has been directed to take measures for restoring public confidence. In Tehri district, the State Government has allocated seven gunners to political leaders and three to private persons for six months. In Pauri, six gunners have been given to political leaders, four in Uttarkashi, three in Chamoli, two in Rudraprayag, 10 in Udham Singh Nagar, 17 in Nainital, 11 in Almora, eight in Pithoragarh and seven in Bageshwar.