Poll nears, over 19,000 POs yet to be nabbed

Amaninder Pal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 3

The police have only managed to arrest 2,000 of the total 21,623 criminals registered as proclaimed offenders (PO) in various police stations of the state even as the Election Commission of India is all set to announce dates for the Assembly poll.

As many as 19,623 POs are yet to be apprehended by the police. This figure is part of the latest status report on the state’s law and order scenario submitted to the commission by Punjab Chief Electoral Officer in a meeting held today at Delhi. The report has figures till January 2.

Significantly, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi had last month said that the high number of POs in Punjab was a “serious issue” and “can be used to influence voters.”

The commissioner had also disclosed that at least 8,000 POs — most of whom have not been nabbed — were involved in heinous crimes.

The report submitted today revealed that of the total 7,759 POs declared under Section 88-89 of the CrPC, the police could arrest just around 627 accused.

Similarly, there are at least 13,864 accused who have either disappeared during trial or didn’t report back after they were granted bail by trial courts. Of them, the police could arrest only 1,373 POs.

The state police have arrested 2,000 POs since September 1 – the day the ECI directed the Punjab Police to regularly submit status of all the POs and absconders and told the state to act against such accused. The figure of POs this time is higher than in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when 18,094 accused had been declared as POs. However, the police’s performance is better in executing non-bailable warrants (NBW). Of the 14,774 NBWs issued so far, the police have executed 13,387 NBWs till January 2.