Bihar crime graph still spiralling
by Ajay Kumar

    Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who became the state's 33rd head of government on November 24, 2005 on the promise of restoring the rule of law, will hold a meeting with senior police officers in Patna today to discuss ways to check the rising crimes in the state. Kumar has summoned the Director General of Police, Additional Director Generals, all zonal Inspector Generals, range Deputy Inspector Generals and Superintendents of Police of all districts for an urgent meeting in the backdrop of the latest round of kidnappings that included a prominent businessman and a school student from the state capital. The officers have been asked to come with crime figures in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Thereafter, the available data will be segregated on lines of serious offences like murder, kidnapping for ransom, dacoity and Naxalite violence, police sources said.

    Kumar, who has often stressed crime control as a prerequisite for state's economic progress, is facing fire from the opposition and public disappointment over the spiralling crime graph, despite the government giving a "free hand" to the police to deal with the situation. It maybe recalled that Kumar had promised to make Bihar "crime- free" by January 24. It will be Kumar's third review meeting with top police officers after two earlier meetings during which the DGP, ADGs and IGs posted at the police headquarters had made presentations before the Chief Minister. The shortage of men and officers in the police force, slow pace of its modernisation and sluggish trial of cases would be discussed at today's meeting, sources said. The state has been rocked by a series of kidnappings. Nirmalendu Prakash Diwakar, a Class IX student of the Don Bosco School and son of a former director of the Animal Husbandry Department O P Diwakar, was abducted on Tuesday from near his residence while on way to school in his private vehicle. Naseem Akhtar, the son of a sub-divisional officer posted at Darbhanga, Naeem Akhtar, was kidnapped from near his residence in Pataliputra colony in the capital on January 5 but was later released. Two sons of a businessman were abducted from Madhopur village in Gopalganj district on January 3 but later let off and police claimed it was due to sustained pressure. A day before the incident, Atul Kumar, 12-year-old son of a farmer Loha Singh, was kidnapped from Sangrahwan village under Phulwaria police station of the same district. As the villagers led by local JD (U) MLA Ram Sevak Singh held protest demonstrations, the body of Atul was recovered from near a pond at the same village.

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