E-Paper
U.P. DGP’s ‘Hindu panchang-based’ strategy to checkmate criminal gangs
The police officers have been directed to do crime mapping, identify hotspots, and intensify night patrolling during darker nights when criminals mostly strike
The director general of police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, Vijaya Kumar has in an internal circular directed police officers to use the ‘Hindu panchang’ to assess the period when criminal gangs are most likely to strike.
The ‘panchang’ is a lunisolar calendar that uses standard Hindu timekeeping units and displays important dates and periods.
The DGP’s August 14 circular with a copy of the ‘panchang’ attached to it, directs police officers across the state to intensify night patrolling during darker nights, the time when these gangs are most expected to strike.
The DGP asked the police officials to do crime mapping of such incidents and identify hot spots. He also asked officials to intensify night patrolling in such areas.
The DGP’s circular also directs cops to remain alert on ‘Amavasya (no moon day and the darkest night of the lunar month)’ and even states that the no moon day would happen on August 16, September 14 and October 14. The DGP has directed officials to remain alert a week before and after these dates.
On DGP’s push, an alert has been raised, especially for dark nights as the criminal gangs are most dangerous during this period.
“All criminal gangs mostly follow the basic trend of striking during dark nights,” explained a police inspector, who has studied the modus-operandi of such criminal gangs.
“Each month has about 15 nights when there is little or no moonlight. This is known as Krishna Paksh in Hindu mythology and this is the time when these gangs generally strike after having studied their victims during brighter nights (Shukla Paksh),” the inspector explained.
SAFETY TIPS
Install padlocks and a double lock system at the doors. These criminal gangs can easily break into a house if there are only latches to lock the doors.
Install security alarms
Ensure that streetlights in colonies are functional.
Take care not to allow strangers to loiter near houses or to allow them in for any work.
Keep phone numbers of the nearest police station/outpost in charge handy.
People staying near railway tracks or near rivers should remain especially alert.
