The Director General of Police (DGP) GL Sharma has decided to rush a team of senior police officers to Banda-Chitrakoot region to control the menace of dacoit gangs during the state assembly elections. The polling is on April 28.
Even though dacoits had been a pain in the neck of the police in the past elections, the problem has assumed serious dimensions because of the direct involvement of the gangs in the election. Threatening pamphlets have come out in the region to vote for particular candidates.
While dreaded Shiv Kumar Patel alias Dadua has issued diktats in favour Samajwadi Party, as his brother Bal Kumar Patel is in fray on the SP ticket from Patti (Pratapgarh), another gang leader Dr Ambika Patel alias Thokia has fielded his mother Piyaria Devi from Naraini constituency on the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) ticket. Another kin of Dadua RK Patel is the SP candidate from Karvi.
Talking to
Hindustan Times
on Saturday Sharma said the officers were being identified for the job. He said a massive combing operation had already been launched in the affected areas of Banda-Chitrakoot with the help of an additional force. Sharma said now some senior officers were being rushed to supervise the operation. Sharma also said while concentrating on the elimination of these gangs, his priority was to provide a fear-free atmosphere to the people to exercise their franchise. The chief electoral officer AK Bishnoi said the election commission had issued the necessary directives to the DGP in this connection.
The Divisional Commissioner Chitrakoot SC Sharma, DIG Prabhat Kumar, District Magistrate RK Singh and SP N Ravinder visited Patha hilly track on Friday on the UP-MP border for confidence building among the people of Chamrauha, Rampur and Gidraha villages. On the other Banda police exchanged fire with the Thokia gang which was trying to campaign for the RLD candidate in the historical Kalinjer area. SP Banda Dr KS Pratap Kumar said there was cross firing with the gang on Korra Hill. He said commandoes were being deployed to scuttle Thokia's campaigning plan in Naraini.
The Divisional Commissioner Chitrakoot SC Sharma, DIG Prabhat Kumar, District Magistrate RK Singh and SP N Ravinder visited Patha hilly track on Friday on the UP-MP border for confidence building among the people of Chamrauha, Rampur and Gidraha villages. On the other Banda police exchanged fire with the Thokia gang which was trying to campaign for the RLD candidate in the historical Kalinjer area. SP Banda Dr KS Pratap Kumar said there was cross firing with the gang on Korra Hill. He said commandoes were being deployed to scuttle Thokia's campaigning plan in Naraini.
Dadua's son Bir Singh is the chairman district panchayat Chitrakoot. With a clear
firman
to support the SP, Dadua gang has also issued threats to candidates of rival political parties. The BSP sitting MLA Daddu Prasad, who is contesting from Manikpur (Chitrakoot) has complained to the Election Commission about the threats from Dadua gang. In the last assembly election Dadua had supported BSP. RK Patel had won from Karvi on the BSP ticket in the last election.
However, under the pressure of Dadua he recently defected to SP.