Wing formed to nab POs faces problems due to lack of facilities

Gagandeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 17

The state government has formed a wing in each district to nab proclaimed offenders (POs).

The wing in Bathinda has been facing difficulties in performing their duties due to lack of facilities. It does not have an office and currently there are only seven members, including a driver, in the wing.

The wing that has the responsibility to nab POs has been working from the Canal Colony police station with only two rooms.

A sub-inspector rank officer is the in-charge of the wing. The members of the wing have got a Mahindra Bolero car as an official vehicle. On a number of occasions, they have to spend money on their own to complete the paper work after arresting a PO.

In Bathinda district, there are close to 525 POs and they are booked at all 20 police stations of the district. These POs are booked on the chargers of murder, attempt to murder, drug peddling, fraud and rape. The police have been looking for them for the past 10 years.

Of the total POs, close to 184 POs are residents of Bathinda district and around 25 have left the country.

During the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, according to the list sent to the Election Commission of India by the Bathinda police, as many as 27 persons are booked on murder charge, 20 on attempt to murder charge, 27 under the Arms Act, 66 on fraud charge and five on the charge of drug peddling. All these have been declared as POs by the court.

Gurtej Singh, in-charge of the wing formed to nab POs, said they had arrested close to 100 POs and around 20 POs had been arrested by the police.