E-Paper
Mafiosi continue to call the shots in dist
Lawlessness in the city may be at its peak but cops are basking in the glory of dropping two alleged criminals dead in what they term as ''encounters''. And in case you want to know what lawlessness really means and whether awe inspiring criminals have been actually affected by DGP Bua Singh's recent orders directing all district police chiefs to carry out concerted drive against criminals, all you have to do is to stand at any of the corners on the two roads crossing in Civil Lines and you will have a taste of things.
Lawlessness in the city may be at its peak but cops are basking in the glory of dropping two alleged criminals dead in what they term as ''encounters''.
And in case you want to know what lawlessness really means and whether awe inspiring criminals have been actually affected by DGP Bua Singh's recent orders directing all district police chiefs to carry out concerted drive against criminals, all you have to do is to stand at any of the corners on the two roads crossing in Civil Lines and you will have a taste of things.
After witnessing more than a dozen latest luxury cars and Landcruisers some of which cost Rs 65 lakh or even more carrying scaring faces and barrels of automatic and semi-automatic weapons resting against the front or rear seats, the picture of the state of affairs on the law and order front will be clear before you.
Interestingly, in the eyes of protectors of law either such gun totting men are not criminals or even if they are, their hands (cop's) cannot reach them (criminals).
For the common man all this may be extremely shocking but sadly this is the way things are moving in the state these days, confesses a retired police officer. Such drives are mere eye wash as they cannot deter criminals from doing what they want.
The only thing which such police action does is to dissuade criminals from their activity as they make a come back on the scene with greater vengeance following a lull.
Notwithstanding this backdrop, no action against mafia elements have been taken till date sending a signal as if they were goody goody people who were not posing threat of any kind to the society despite the fact that many of them were active in grabbing prime land and buildings in the city with nobody daring to speak against them. When it comes to them even the men in uniform prefer to look the other way.
Cops, on condition of anonymity, confess having taken no action against the mafia in the district during the past three years despite the fact that several such gangs were active in the district.
What is most shocking is the fact that the police personnel have not cared to categorise the mafiosi active in different fields.
If police sources are correct there are more than six active sand mafiosi, about a dozen land mafiosi including other players in the field but in records cops have preferred to show only three mafia gangs in the district.
