E-Paper
Pune police to counsel parents of youngsters posting gangster videos on social media
Police have identified 100 such social media accounts belonging to youngsters including minors where videos glorifying crime and violence have been uploaded
PUNE The Pune rural police have raised concern over the rising trend of rural youth from prominent families uploading objectionable ‘bhaigiri’ videos related to arrested gangster Santosh Jadhav and other local criminals on social media.
The local crime branch (LCB)–the criminal tracking unit of the rural police–have identified 100 such social media accounts belonging to youngsters including minors where videos glorifying crime and violence have been uploaded. Ever since the arrest of gangsters Jadhav and Siddhesh Saurabh Kamble alias Mahakal in connection with the murder of prominent singer Siddhu Moosewala in Punjab, the issue of attracting rural youth towards glorifying crime on social media have come under the scanner. According to the rural police, criminals are making tall claims of attracting rural youth towards glorifying crime on Facebook and other social media.
Pune rural SP Abhinav Deshmukh said, “We have identified the social media accounts where videos glorifying criminals are being uploaded online. These youths are mostly from reputed families and we will be calling their parents for counseling of both parents and these youngsters to wean away the latter from the immoral influence of criminal activities. It is a very worrying trend and is being seriously investigated. This trend is dangerous and a lot of youths have been influenced and most of them don’t know the dangers associated with being young and immature. Parents will be counseled to explain to them the involvement of their children in crimes.”
The rural police have found that provocative messages and declaration of gang wars on social media including WhatsApp groups, and incendiary material challenging the opponents on Instagram and Facebook has given a major fillip to gangland activities among the rural youth. Rising agricultural incomes, land ownership, high-end cars and bikes have all given birth to the craze for one-upmanship and establishing sway in the respective areas to achieve dominance.
Deshmukh said, “Many youths are unconsciously drawn towards crime and fights over small issues lead to gang wars. As far as the modus operandi of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is concerned, they are all outsiders and give shelter and money to local youths and later use them to commit bigger crimes. We are working closely to bring the issue under control.”
The rural police believe that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is using social media as a tool to recruit Pune’s rural youth to commit crimes across the country. Deshmukh has appealed to the youths not to fall prey to the temptation of crime on social media. These criminals have been found using different photos and reels on social media to persuade the youth to join criminal activities. According to the police, juvenile delinquency, too, has reached alarming proportions in the rural hinterland with social media making it worse.
Psychologist Kamlesh Sonawane said, “Idolising criminals is a dangerous trend amongst youngsters and the youths who post their pictures with guns or weapons feel empowered. Slowly, they get followers among youths of their age and even minors, and it further increases the group power, network and influence. It is very important for all society stakeholders to come together and brainstorm on the issue to curb the rising glorification of crime on social media.”
Past cases
May 24, 2022
Yash Awale, a 22-year-old youth was killed in Wadgaon Maval area for posting a provocative status on social media. The status message irked the accused and resulted in murder.
December 23, 2021
Dashant Pardeshi (17) was killed by his cousin brother and his friend after posting a status on social media.The deceased had written ‘302 100%’ and had used a pistol emoji with the status so that it would be visible only to his cousin and his friend. Fearing he was planning to kill them, the accused murdered Pardeshi before he could kill them.
December 18, 2021
Ganesh Mote (21) shot and killed career criminal Yogesh Jagtap. Soon after, Mote uploaded a short video as a social media post. It was from the song “Tapka re tapka, ek aur tapka” from the 1997 film, Mahaanta.
August 12, 2020
A status message ‘DW 302’ on mobile phone led to arrests of five suspects involved in the double murder that was reported from Shiroli area of Khed taluka in Pune district. The double murder crime was a fallout of rivalry between two gangs operating in Pimpri-Chinchwad area. Aniket Randive, a criminal-on-police-records and a member of the ‘Akkya Bond’ gang, was murdered at Gharkul in Chikhali area on May 29 by members of Amit Chavan gang. This murder was to avenge a murderous attack on Amit Chavan done by Akkya Bond gang members.
