With election over, crime disappears from headlines in UP

Even as Uttar Pradesh police got busy shutting down ‘illegal abbatoirs’ (isn’t it the job of municipal authorities?) and catching alleged Romeos and Juliets, records show at least 17 cases of serious crime including murder, robbery and rape reported in the state during the last 24 hours.

Thursday morning saw UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath visit Hazratganj Police Station for an inspection. Surrounded by TV and still cameras and reporters, the CM gave a public sermon to policemen on how to do their job and keep the surroundings of police stations clean.

Hours after the CM’s inspection, there were reports coming in from Firozabad of bus passengers beating up employees at a toll booth. But while sections of the people have clearly become unruly, the attention of police has shifted from law and order to cosmetic exercises.

Police officials including DGP Javeed Ahmed are seen to have suddenly become proactive in ensuring the implementation of various promises in BJP’s manifesto which includes introduction of ‘Anti-Romeo’ squads and closing down of illegal slaughter houses.

The chief minister himself appeared hugely amused to find the police so hyper-active. While addressing ministers after distribution of portfolios the chief minister said that although the government is yet to come out with an action plan to check roadside Romeos, police is working on its own and has been busy arresting lafangas (ruffians).

The police action did help the chief minister to hog the headlines during the last few days but the fact remains that 'jungle raaj’ continues to prevail in Uttar Pradesh.

Some of the more serious crimes reported since Sunday are as follows:

• In Moradabad, Susheel Kumar Arora (55) of Bhagwatpur area was found dead and jewellery looted from his house in the wee hours of Wednesday.

• In Agra, BJP leader Rahul aka Sandeep (28) of Tundla (Firozabad) was hacked to death by one Arvind on the Yamuna Expressway under Etmadpur police station area on Wednesday morning.

• In Azamgarh, a salesman in a country liquor shop Sabhajeet was waylaid by three miscreants and as his father Gajraj (65) tried to come to his rescue, the miscreants shot him dead and critically injured Sabhajeet.

• In Sitapur, a 3-year-old girl of Ramuwapur Chamran area of Pisawa was kidnapped by her neighbour Ram Ladaut and Pradeep Kumar and later killed on Tuesday night. The police did not rule out possibility of sexual assault.

• A BSP leader who has challenged Raghuraj Pratap Singh in recent election was shot dead in Allahabad.

These crimes are no longer making front page headlines. Instead police action is creating problems for common man. Two days back unidentified people set ablaze three meat shops in Hathras. Police has failed to arrest the criminals.