The deteriorating law and order is a subject of gossip in every nook and cranny of the city. Institutions, lawyers, business community and homemakers all harp blame on the police which continues to seek support from people for controlling crime in Jamshedpur.
The rise in crime has made denizens wary with most blaming the audacity of criminals and police inaction for the deteriorating law and order. Jamshedpur has witnessed about a dozen incidents of murder, loot, burglary, snatching, extortion and theft in the past one month. But, significantly, most of the crime has been detected.
Police have launched an intensive arms checking drive on the streets to tackle crime but they seem to have overlooked the movement of various gangs which are roaming free and giving shape to criminal incidents with gay abandon.
“I feel afraid of venturing out after dusk as you never know what will happen. Crime has increased manifold and I have lost all confidence in the police,” said a Sakchi homemaker.
Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry officials said police should not only focus on arms checking drives but also strengthen their information network. “Police give enough leeway to criminals who escape after committing a crime. This can be stopped after proper sealing of entry and exit points of the city,” he added.
He said the deteriorating law and order will not allow businessmen to invest in Jamshedpur. “Tell me, who would like to do business in this scenario. The business community is living in fear. This should not be allowed to continue for long. It will affect the overall economy of Kolhan,” he said.
SSP M Tamil Vanan said police were taking necessary steps to control and detect crime. “We will come up with results very soon,” he claimed, indicating that they have picked some suspects involved in recent sensitive criminal cases.
The police administration has decided to increase night patrolling in the city, especially in Mango and Sakchi localities of the city. Officials said that constables on foot would be deployed in a stretch of every one km for patrolling. Several other constables would be deployed for the purpose, besides patrolling by the local police. He, however, stressed upon developing intelligence gathering machineries and intensifying patrolling around midnight. In the past one week, at least seven cases of burglary have been reported in the city and the suburbs. Most of the incidents happened in posh areas of Mango and Sakchi.