The crime rate in Bihar remains unaffected despite the order of strong action against criminals. Ghosts of extortion and loot are back.
Yesterday morning Santosh Kumar, a grocery shop owner in rural Patna, Bikram Bazar was shot dead by a group of assailants. Just after opening his shop, he sat on the counter when two people entered the shop and shot him from point blank range.
Santosh was rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) where he was declared dead. Following this, agitated locals blocked Patna-Aurangabad route, paralyzing it for hours. Police have linked the murder to an extortionist gang named ‘Baap Ji’. According to police sources, in Bikram bazaar area, a few days back a trader had complained about an extortion call.
15 incidents of extortion killing in the state in the last five months
The business fraternity is on target as recent incidents point the finger. The killing of Umakant Choudhary on 8th June in Samastipur, the murder of grocery shop owner in Paschimi Champaran on 7th June and abduction and murder of Prithvi Choudhary in Begusarai.
In another incident yesterday, Nishant Thakur alias Sonu, a travel agency owner in Muzaffarpur city was attacked by gun-borne assailants. During morning hours, two people visited his shop to book flight ticket and fired bullets on him. He received injuries in his stomach and shoulder. This incident took place just 500 metres away from the residence of Muzaffarpur District Magistrate.
In Kesaria near Motihari, an accountant of a civil contractor was attacked by unidentified men who looted him and ran away with his bike. In Danapur, 16 lakh was looted from a jewellery shop owner.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar headed a review meeting on law & order situation
Back to back to incidents of crime including murder, extortion, loot despite strict order to contain crime has made Bihar government stand in the dock of questions. A week ago, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar headed a review meeting on law & order situation in backdrop of rising crime in the state. It must be noted that in the review meeting, Patna and Muzaffarpur were identified as the most crime-prone districts in Bihar.
CM Nitish ordered top brass of police officials to intensify patrolling with disciplined field visits. During the crime review meeting following decisions came up-
- Installation of Global Positioning System (GPS) in patrol vehicle to identify culprits behind bike theft.
- Station House Officers (SHOs) crime handling method must renew.
- Strong action against lagging approach towards crime.
- Time bound submission of chargesheet and completion of investigation.
- Timely investigation against cases involving police officials & Submission of chargesheets which involve communal riot and violence.
