HT Chandigarh Our Take: Administrator VP Badnore is right, stop crimes in Chandigarh at any cost
Badnore gave a dressing-down to the police department during a crime review meeting on June 3, asking for accountability to be fixed if police officials were found complacent.
Even as Chandigarh residents were being lulled into a false sense of security as crime rates dipped sharply during the Covid-19 lockdown beginning from March, two incidents of firing within days, one in Sector 33 on May 31 and another in Sector 9 on June 2, served as a rude wake-up call indicating criminals were back in the business of terrorising the city.
Two days later, on June 4, two masked men broke into a temple in Sector 8 here and decamped with gold and silver jewellery and cash.
That the UT administrator VP Singh Badnore was concerned about the firing was evident in the dressing-down he gave to the police department during a crime review meeting on June 3, asking for accountability to be fixed if police officials were found complacent.
The administrator pointed out that the firing incidents took place despite restrictions in place, and directed the police to be more proactive to avoid such incidents that instilled fear in residents. He asked them to ensure intensive patrolling, set up more nakas and enhance police visibility on the streets of Chandigarh. The administrator also asked the police to act tough against active criminals.
In the Sector 33 case, unidentified gunmen had opened fire at the bungalow of hotelier and businessman Rakesh Singla because of prime suspect, gym owner Sewak’s rivalry with his younger brother, liquor baron Arvind Singla.
As many as 17 shots we fired from two .30 and .32 bore weapons.
Police said Sewak ran a gym in Zirakpur and had been working for jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi for the past two years. He aided the gangster by supplying vehicles.
Sewak was arrested later.
In the Sector 9 case, two masked men opened fire at a shop, leaving four people injured. Ram Avtar Batra, 69, who was running the shop since April 2018, revealed the names of people he had a monetary dispute with, in his statement to the police.
A case was registered on the complaint of a man working at the wine shop.
For a police force, this is the time to make it amply clear to all categories of criminals that unlawful activities will not be tolerated.
Renewed focus on gangs, bootleggers and petty criminals is the need of the hour, as is strengthening the network of police informants who can be given handsome rewards and protection for valuable tip-offs.
Quick, proactive measures now, as the city remains under partial lockdown enabling easy detection of any and suspicious activity, will serve to instill confidence in the public that the police, having provided exemplary service to the city as frontline warriors against Covid-19, will also continue to serve as effective crime fighters.
CURBING CRIME
What message should Chandigarh police send out to criminals?
Two shootouts in three days have shaken the city. What immediate measures should the police take to prevent such crimes? Send your responses to Chandigarh@hindustantimes.com by Friday, June 12