‘Thuggee’ may increase if not sternly dealt with: Punjab and Haryana High Court

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, March 1

“Thuggee” or swindling might register an upspring if not dealt with sternly, putting people in peril and repeating history, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asserted. Justice Anoop Chitkara said the modus operandi adopted by accused in two different cases indicated the revival of swindling perhaps because the administration was sleeping over the issue of bringing in reforms and enactments to check the threat.

“The sly manner in which the petitioner and his accomplices conned, tricked, deceived and swindled the gullible complainant and her family points towards the dangerous trend of the revival of ‘thuggee’, which may be due to the administration’s slumber in ushering reforms and not pushing the required enactments to curb the menace, but if not sternly dealt with now, it might upsurge, putting people in peril and repeating history,” Justice Chitkara said in both the cases against the State of Haryana and other respondents.

‘Thuggee’ in general refers to the acts of thugs, who form organised gangs. In one of the petitions placed before Justice Chitkara’s Bench, the accused was seeking bail in a cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy case registered in October last year at Uklana police station in Hisar under Sections 417, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC.

The allegations against the petitioner were that he and some others ran a fake call centre and lured gullible people on the promise of jobs, installation of mobile towers etc. The petitioner was a member of the racket. Appearing before the Bench, his counsel contended that custodial investigation would serve no purpose whatsoever, and the pre-trial incarceration would cause an irreversible injustice to the petitioner and family.

The state counsel, on the other hand, opposed the plea by submitting that the petitioner had criminal antecedents and bail encouraged habitual offenders. The Bench was informed about another case under the provisions of the Information Technology Act against the petitioner.

After going through the documents and the rival contentions in the matter, Justice Chitkara referred to media reports to say as per the same “we might be acquiring a bad reputation worldwide because of these fake call centres”. Dismissing the petition, Justice Chitkara said the petitioner’s criminal past, coupled with the gravity of offence, did not entitle him to bail at the current stage.

Petitioner ran fake call centre

• ‘Thuggee’ in general refers to the acts of thugs, who form organised gangs. In a petition placed before the Bench, the accused was seeking bail in a cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy case.
• The allegations against the petitioner were that he and some others ran a fake call centre and lured gullible people on the promise of jobs, installation of mobile towers etc.

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