How police go about their task
Police teams working to crack cases of kidnapping for ransom require meticulous planning, reports Tushar Srivastava.
Police teams working to crack cases of kidnapping for ransom require meticulous planning, careful monitoring, perseverance, patience in their investigation and swift, coordinated action for rescuing the victim.
The investigation team is, therefore, constituted of specially selected officers. The team is equipped with high-speed unmarked private vehicles, wireless sets, mobile phones and bulletproof jackets. The group usually splits into four or more teams, working simultaneously.
The first team coordinates with relatives of the victim, the second team monitors telephone calls, the third tracks known gangs of kidnappers with similar modus operandi while the fourth conducts rescue operations.
The team coordinating with relatives of the victim is stationed round-the-clock at the residence of the victim. It is the responsibility of this team to win the confidence of the relatives and to assure them that all efforts are being made to locate the kidnappers and rescue the victim.
Recording devices and speakerphones are installed at the victim's house. As negotiations continue, one of the team members writes down questions and passes them on to the person who is talking to the kidnappers so that the conversation is prolonged. Another team member writes down the basic points of the conversation to draw a rough picture of the kidnappers.
All efforts are made to make sure that at no stage the relatives break off the negotiations.
In investigation of cases of kidnapping for ransom proper monitoring of telephone calls assumes utmost importance, making the role of the team monitoring calls very crucial. Sometimes, it does the job by tapping a number of telephone exchanges.
The third team responsible for tracing known gangs with similar modus operandi studies the dossiers of known gangs involved in kidnapping for ransom. Their whereabouts are traced as the team continuously liaises with the polices of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the two states to where most kidnappers are usually traced.
When needed, it carries out raids.
The fourth team, involved in rescue operations, has bulletproof jackets, sophisticated arms and unmarked private vehicles.
Rescue operations are mounted keeping in mind the safety of the victim, say police officials.
Every team member is properly briefed that the safe rescue of the victim is the first goal. Efforts should never be made to apprehend the accused at the cost of the safety of the victim.
Email Tushar Srivastava:tushar@hindustantimes.com
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