Law & order, not crime, out of hand, admits dist police chief

When SSP Vijay Singh Meena had joined on January 20 last he had told mediapersons that he would be able to make comments on the law and order front including crime situation in the district after fifteen days.

When SSP Vijay Singh Meena had joined on January 20 last he had told mediapersons that he would be able to make comments on the law and order front including crime situation in the district after fifteen days.

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He had also said, every district had its own problems. Commenting on murders he had remarked that most of such incidents were committed due to property dispute which includes agriculture land. However, in these 15 days the district was rocked by the brutal killings of four innocent children who were done away in groups of two at two different places. On its part cops have not been able to even get to know the motive behind such thoughtless killings of innocent souls who had no enemies.

In a tête-à-tête with BK Singh exactly after a fortnight of his joining the SSP Meena answers some questions.

What has been your experience in these 15 days ?
More than crime it is the law and order which appears to be out of hand in this district. On every issue people have a tendency to take to streets and destroy government and private property like they did in Handia on Friday following the recovery of bodies of two children from a well.

Don't you think public backlash in such incidents is justified?
To some extent it was justified for the earlier incident in Shankargarh in which bodies of two children had been recovered after nearly 11 days since they went missing. Action against the station officer was taken after realising that he had acted too slowly to work out the case. But in Handia, it was not at all justified.

Without giving any time to the police some small time politicians who are on the look out to be the centre of attraction blocked the GT Road and indulged in arson and rioting. None of the grieving members of the family were with them.

As a result police had to act. This action resulted in the arrest of more than two dozen people who were charged with criminal misconduct.

Have the cops manning the police stations gone out of control?
No, it is wrong. Every thing is in control and those found committing dereliction of duty were being punished also.

Is the allegation of Dilip Nishad's kin about police beating him to death correct?.
The post mortem report has made it clear that Dilip died due to kidney failure and respiratory arrest.

Family members are saying that Dilip was not suffering from any disease. Any comment?
In case what they are saying is correct they could have approached any of the senior police officers with a complaint. But none of them have turned up. This hue and cry after the death appears to be motivated.

What about the Governor's reported complaint to the state election commission about the dubious role of Allahabad cops in the recently held Zila Panchayat chairman's poll?
This did not happen in my tenure. However, investigation in this case is being carried out, he added.