Editorial
Rising crime curve
Take the bull by the horn
DESPITE occasional handing out of stern warnings by ministers of the home ministry or by top police officials, criminals continue to wreak havoc on civic life. In the conspicuous absence of decisive crime busting operations, criminals are apparently getting more organised, reckless and innovative every day in carrying out activities that range from petty mugging, kidnapping and looting to gunning down of victims. Only the other day, in broad daylight, extortionists gunned down the father-in-law of a garment exporter who had refused to give them money as per their demand. The manner in which the killing operation was carried out sent chills down the spine of the citizens. A number of other extortion victims have also been shot by the criminals in last one month.
The crime chart clearly shows that the incidence of gangsters demanding large amounts of money over cell phones from established businessmen has reached a new height in the last couple of months. Many godfathers are reportedly running their anti-social activities from hideouts, and their lackeys seem to have become unstoppable, as they often find their way out of prisons through loopholes in the legal system. Very justifiably, the business community is feeling insecure at the moment and their apprehension has been amply voiced by the business leaders, who have expressed their concern at the fate of further investment in the country by entrepreneurs unless drastic steps were taken to improve the situation.
The police officials have admitted to more than once the visible downslide in law and order. But, it needs to be said that mere admission itself would not solve the problem. As the legal and authorised agency to maintain law and order, the police will have to be proactive and more vigilant in pursuing criminals and busting crime networks. Criminality has already gone deep into society with new ideas and methods being applied to hoodwink the people and the police alike.
We believe every police station already has a list of criminals so what is required is updating it with the help of the ward commissioner offices and various detective agencies. Therefore, tracing down strangers in the area should not be any difficult tasks for them. Uprooting the local drug taking spots and criminals involved in selling them could be one way of containing crime. All said and done, crime rate must be brought down if the government wants to succeed with its major development plans.
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