Police begin 15-day crackdown today

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 30

In a fortnight-long campaign beginning tomorrow, the Haryana Police plan to crackdown on illicit liquor, narcotics and illegal arms, crimes against women, drunken driving and overspeeding.

While ruling out “moral policing”, newly appointed Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sandhu, addressing his first press conference here today, said that “Operation Durga” to rein in eve-teasers would be rolled out and the police had a blueprint ready to plug the “seasonal” entry points along the Yamuna to keep Uttar Pradesh gangsters from sneaking in. “The CID wing had introduced ‘Operation Durga’ for a day or two. We have adopted it and special teams comprising policemen and women will go after those creating nuisance outside girls schools and colleges as also public places. We want Haryana’s girls and women to feel secure,” he said, adding that installing cameras at such places was on the cards.

Defining his priority areas, Sandhu said that though drugs were not a problem in the state right now, the police had been asked to be on the lookout for “suppliers” especially around the educational institutions.

During the fortnight campaign, the police would target drunken drivers and overspeeding vehicles to bring down accident rates, while checking possession of illegal arms and supply of illicit liquor. While cow vigilantes would not be allowed to take law into their own hands, cow smugglers, too, would not be spared.

Referring to cyber crime, the DGP said: “A Cyber Police Station will be set up at Moginand in Panchkula district shortly for which a budgetary allocation had already been made.” ADGP (Crime) PK Agrawal said that they were in the process of recruiting staff with particular set of qualifications through outsourcing.

Sandhu said that he had interacted with senior police officers in all districts through videoconferencing and apprised them of his vision and objectives.

On the INLD’s proposed agitation from July 10, Sandhu said in a democracy, every political party had the right to present its viewpoint, but if it took the law into its own hands, action would be initiated.

Mohd Akil, ADGP (Law and Order), said that directions had already been issued to keep a check on entry of gangsters in Haryana from UP since the water level in the Yamuna was at an all-time low from April to June.

“The gangsters could use this to sneak into the state. Directions have been issued to set up nakas on roads as well as on other routes,” Akil said.

Meanwhile, the Police Department is in the process of acquiring more e-challaning machines against its present availability of 100 and recruiting police personnel to meet the shortage of nearly 14,000 cops.

Asked about women police stations, Sandhu said their working would be reviewed and the shortcomings removed. He said that action would be initiated against such police officers and officials in the Police Lines who were using electricity connections in an unauthorised manner and their house allotment would be cancelled.