Police to be held accountable for rise in crimes

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JULY 23. Police officers from the rank of inspectors to deputy commissioners would be held accountable hereafter for any spurt in the incidence of crimes in Bangalore, the Home Minister, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, declared in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.

Mr. Kharge however cited figures of the number of crimes such as murder and dacoity for the first six months during the past four years to deny that there was an alarming increase in the number of crimes in Bangalore as made out by Mr. Suresh Kumar (BJP) and Mr. P.G.R. Sindhia, Janata Dal (U) Floor leader, who raised the issue during Zero Hour.

Admitting that some murders in recent days had given rise to a sense of fear among the people, Mr. Kharge said the Government had maintained law and order whether in Bangalore or in other places. In fact, the efforts made by the police had resulted in detection of crimes which remained unsolved for a number of years.

Mr. Kharge made a specific reference to the arrest of the notorious Dandupalya gang, and said the High Court had been approached to constitute a special court and spare the services of a judge for the expeditious disposal of the case.

There might have been a couple of unsolved cases reported recently, but all efforts would be made to solve them. If there was spurt in crime, the inspectors, the assistant commissioners and the deputy commissioners of police concerned would be held accountable and action would be taken against them, Mr. Kharge said.

Another point made by Mr. Kharge was that action was being initiated for a monthly review of the crime situation in Bangalore so that the shortcomings, if any, noticed could be rectified. A direction would be given again to the police stations to conduct a door-to-door survey to see that strangers did not enter localities and commit crimes. Members who were not genuinely interested in playing their role in the neighbourhood watch committees would be replaced.

In view of these measures, there was no need for the people to panic, Mr. Kharge said.

Earlier, Mr. Kumar said a gun and ``supari'' culture was emerging in Bangalore. This had not only created a sense of insecurity among the people, but had deterred investors from outside.

Both Mr. Kumar and Mr. Sindhia alleged that groupism at the top level of the police hierarchy was the root cause for the problem. The latter said the groupism was being indirectly encouraged, and wanted the Government to realise the demoralising effect on an officer if a person of the rank of Director-General of Police was asked to investigate the cases of the sale of babies which should be done by an officer of the rank of inspector.

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Section  : Southern States
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