Metro under siege

By Rashmi Chugh

‘THE dacoits crouched behind the bushes in the dark moonless night, lying in wait for the merchants returning to the walled city’... . This was the scenario several hundred years ago when Delhi was the seat of the Mughals. Today, the streets might be floodlit and the bushes practically non-existent,yet the residents of the Capital fear even the shadows, since danger lurks everywhere. It takes the shape of the baby-faced Nepali servant one employs for domestic chores, the ragamuffins who cling to the dirty ghagras of their tribal mother and scout for soft targets or the nearly starved beggar who woefully begs for a couple of rupees at the redlights only to snatch a chain and purse at the first opportunity.

Crime also takes the form of cool teenagers cruising flashy cars, who stage "daring" escapades for the kicks and the henchmen escorted gangsters who plan elaborate extortion and kidnap schemes, often with strong VIP backing. The shadows lengthen with the cop stalker and psychopath of Vasant Kunj, the new tempo gangs up with the darkest spectre of dons who reside abroad and the kingpins who control criminal empires even while lodged behind bars in high-security jails.

News in the Capital has become a never-ending saga of double murders, gruesomely splashed in colour in the dailies, portrayed in detail along with the modus operandi in popular television serials. The media talks of extortion bids, of callously dumped, hacked bodies in nullahs, of the ever-increasing compulsion to raise the walls of the houses, the need to employ a large number of private security guards and the requirement of a sound fencing for the colony you live in.

Consider the statistics in the last one year — the number of criminal cases registered under the IPC have gone up to 61,894 from 58,524. Out of these, the heinous crime cases — which include murder, attempt to murder, rioting, kidnapping for extortion, ransom or rape were 2,668 showing an increase of 9.21 per cent over last year. The number of murders went up by 11.17 per cent with 17 per cent resulting from sudden provocation, 12 per cent due to disputes, 10 per cent due to family disputes, 19 per cent due to enmity, 10 per cent were sex-related and a mere 7 per cent were crime-related. Cases of robberies went up by 27.2 per cent, which also accounted for the overall 9.21 per cent increase in the IPC cases. The crime graph has registered an upswing in all areas. Despite the Delhi police claims of having a higher detection rate as compared to their counterparts elsewhere, its crime detection capabilities have fallen, with only 71.19 per cent cases of dacoity solved, 60.42 per cent of murder, 67.76 per cent of robberies, and 48.66 per cent of snatching as compared to their own performance last year when they had an overall detection rate of about 80 per cent. The Commissioner of Police, V.N. Singh, has attributed the rise in crime this year to the sociological factors rather than crimogenic. The rise is due to several factors like migration, inadequate civic amenities, conflicting demands, in the use of violence to resolve conflicts, denial of basic services, social frustration and the weakening faith in administration and justice. Besides there are factors like more free and fair registration of cases since he took over in July.

Is it true? Are we heading for a more trigger-happy society on the pattern of violent metros of the West where simple conflicts escalate to shoot-outs and repressed desires, both material and sexual, translate into heinous crimes.

Delhi is sitting on a sociological time bomb which is ready to erupt, feels Pradeep Gupta, an industrialist. The Capital is in a state of flux with the greed for money and a more lavish lifestyle, palpable as never before. The huge migrant population, lower income masses who stay in slums, the upcoming middle class and the flamboyant rich classes, each aspires for a higher status in a society where traditional role models have all but disappeared. So the labour class watches in awe the glistening factories and offices, while people of the lower income group dreams of splurging money on fast cars, fancy restaurants, lavish clothes. In short, leading a life which the super rich of the Capital does. The super rich also makes headlines when their progeny go on wild rides in a spanking new BMW, after a bout of partying and kill five persons in the aftermath of revelry, says Gupta. Ultimately every one is on a get-rich-quick fix which translates into crime and corruption, says Dr Sanjeev Aggarwal, who runs a psychiatric evaluation and counselling clinic. Another factor is isolation. Isolation has become an integral part of life in the Capital and manifests itself in increased anti-social activities. Isolation effectively triggers off crime and then prevents it from being discovered. The murder of an entire family of five in Geetanjali Enclave went unnoticed by the neighbours till the only surviving daughter-in-law returned from a tour, he says.

A total lack of interest and awareness of what is happening in the neighbourhood is becoming a hallmark of most middle and upper class colonies, he says. "A constant feeling of insecurity pervades us at all times," says Rekha, a housewife. "Even ordinary mundane jobs like getting a gas cylinder replaced by a new delivery boy sets off the alarm, in my mind. A stage has come when I attempt to minimise the entry of any new face into my home, leave alone hiring or firing a help which is a task fraught with danger," she says.

The ever-increasing influx of migrants has given rise to a small army of small-time criminals, feels Pradeep. Clustering and the contact between the haves and have nots has resulted in Delhi becoming a source of "quick money". The apparent prosperity and the large number of rich persons available for extortion and plundering are a potent combination along with the ease with which a criminal can make a quick getaway. A few seconds after the crime and one can practically disappear in the large volume of traffic and humanity that swarms the city. The large population also gives a vast pool of targets for acts of crime, he feels. The sheer ease with which bad elements commit a crime, get bail, encourages crime. Money was always there in the Capital; what has changed is the culture. People feel they can get away by greasing palms.

The person who kidnaps, kills or steals can, at the most, get shot in an encounter but one rarely hears of cases where the criminal is punished severely for the crime. Even in the recent case where two rich drunken kids mowed down seven persons while driving at a speed exceeding 140 kmph, lawyers are busy debating if they can be held responsible.

Ultimately for a task which is not even the responsibility of the Delhi Government, policing the Capital being the prerogative of the Centre, stricter laws and stricter enforcement are required. For the moment, safety, guards and security systems have been left to the citizens, as patrolling the streets to keep crime off is not for the police alone.