Unabated robbery, kidnapping and even killings in the capital finally evoked reactions from the State Government. Information coming out suggests that Chief Minister Raghubar Das has taken cognisance of the matter and on Sunday, directed police officials to bust gangs behind the criminal acts.
The step has come since a series of incidents, especially of robberies took place in last 48 hours. The CM was also approached by a group of women from a residential apartment in Bariatu with requests to restore law and order in the capital.
Even as the residents of the apartment brought their grievances to the CM, he advised owners of the apartments and others to put up additional mechanism in their premises. Unchecked crime also bagged attention of Minister Saryu Roy who reportedly assured people that he will raise the matter with CM to secure people’s lives and belongings.
“CM advised them to install CCTVs in their premises, be more alert and immediately inform police about any suspicious movement,” said Kanke MlA, Jitu Charan Ram “people need to become more responsible. CM asked people of the apartment to find loopholes in the security. I have also decided to interact with residential societies on the issue”.
As the matter reached the CM, police swung into action and decided to develop standard operating procedure for security guards of apartments and prepare a comprehensive list of security guards stationed in such multi-storey buildings.
“All police stations have been asked to convene meeting with security guards and one of the purpose is to create a database of security guards,” confided Hatia ASP, Prashant Anand.
Meanwhile, never before Police would have been embarrassed by thieves and criminals outwitting the intelligence network police professes very much in place to assist proactive policing and taking preventive measures to reduce incidents of crime in the city. As the news of burglary and murder is popping up randomly from various parts of the city, unsolved cases and rising incidents on the contrary, need for a potent intelligence network is being felt even more.
Around 19 incidents of theft have been reported from different localities in just over a fortnight besides two incidents of murder and abduction, which also resulted in the execution of the abducted person, have been reported in the span of 17 days.
“Police cannot work without intelligence network. We have a network but it needs to be strengthened more. Apart from that detection of gangs is also something we need to work on,” said City SP Kishor Kaushal.
Although police have admitted that few burglaries occurred after culprits recced the residential areas mostly apartments, police’s intelligence fell woefully short of keeping an eye on people on recognisance to pick houses for stealing objects.
Notably, March 4 thieves had barged into three houses in Bariatu PS area; on March 1 a theft in Anandpur locality under Chutia PS area was reported and on February 29 three incidents of thefts in shops situated at BIT Mesra chowk shocked the area besides simultaneous heist in four houses on March 5 in Jagannathpur that added to the tally of house robbery.
Surprisingly, most of the incidents were reportedly happened in residential apartments however no one has been arrested. Police rue indifferent society make matters worse for them.
“We are not denying what we have to do. But we need cooperation from people as well. Most of the incidents of theft have happened during day time in apartments where no guard has been hired or the guard is doing nothing, either there is no CCTV in some apartments or it is not working,” maintained the City SP.
Nonetheless, the recent spurt in crime is likely to be addressed with long term measures which include detecting people involved earlier in burglary and working on the intelligence front by hiring more informers.
Incidentally, two people have been arrested in connection with the murder of abducted Ranchi based marble trader, Raju Mandal. The arrest was made from Badgaon in Tandwa PS area in Chatra. The marble trader’s dead body had been recovered from Pattharchatta forest in Tandwa. Mandal was abducted on February 29 and a ransom of Rs1-crore was demanded by abductors to set him free. Police also arrested six people in connection with a snatching incident that happened in Pandra on Saturday.