Measures to control organised crimes Praveen Dixit
1) Reporter: – Sir, the first question with your expertise, we would like to ask is for the past few months, it has been observed that convicted gangsters like Lawrence Bishnoi and his Rivals are rising with their activities and the situation is similar to be the Bombay of the 90s. So, how do you react to this emerging situation?
Answer: – At the outset, I would say that the situation in 1990s in Mumbai then and situation we are facing today in 2024 is considerably different. In 1990s, Dawood Ibrahim and his rivals used to engage convicted criminals, and mostly they were noticed as sharp shooters. Today, the present gangs are approached by unemployed youth below the age of 17 and there is no criminal record of them. At present we are passing through communication revolution and the world has become a global village. Today’s crimes have become borderless crimes. These are not restricted to only metropolitan areas and these gang members belong to remote places in UP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and such other parts. The geographical distance is no more there. Not only this, it is also trans gracing the boundaries of the nations. The main culprit Amol Bishnoi, brother of Lawrence is in Canada and his associates are in several countries. Another major difference it is suspected that these contracted persons may be targeting the vulnerable persons at the behest of inimical State authorities including China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan or Sri Lanka. Three major factors from the international arena are operating against India. These include ultra-leftist organizations, Muslim fundamentalists including sympathizers of ISIS and Al Qaeda, and outfits supported by anarchists such as George Soros. Today the situation has become more complicated with the rising trends like drugs, weapons smuggling, cybercrimes and cryptocurrency. These factors are converging and determined to create splits in the name of religion, region, castes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes or language. As a result of these tool kit, the organized crime is rising rapidly.
2) Reporter: – Sir, in the coming times, if we do not put a halt to it, do you think Delhi and nearby areas will be becoming a hub of the underworld?
Answer: – No, I would not say that. Law enforcement officers are seized with the challenging requirements and striving their best to combat the emerging situation. To improve their efforts further I would urge them not to depend only on their competency, gazettes and technical intelligence. They also need to improve human intelligence. Law enforcing agencies need to have trust in common man and seek his assistance in tackling the crimes in their surroundings. Neglect to petty crimes emboldens the culprits to graduate in criminal world and the society ten faces hardened, cruel, underworld criminals. In Maharashtra, for example, when I had the opportunity to work as the ‘Commissioner of Police’ or as the ‘Director General of Police of the State’, we had implemented the idea of ‘Police Mitra’. ‘Mitra’ is a friend. So, through this ‘Police Mitra’, every Police Station was encouraged to involve the common man and to our surprise, we found that women, men, elderly persons, youngsters, persons belonging to every community, came forward in hundreds and thousands. More than five lakh private individuals were actively contributing to policing not only by providing information, but also ensuring that all aberrations developing in their surroundings were promptly shared with law enforcing agencies. They also came-up with suggestions and implementable solutions. Thus, combatting crime became a community affair. As a result, street crimes, particularly extortions, robberies, chain-snatchings, cheatings were curbed substantially. As per the statistics maintained by National Crime Record Bureau (NRB), crime rate is increasing 12% to 15% per annum. However, in the year when this scheme we launched, these incidents declined by 15%. not only there was a decline, but also effective control of all these crimes. There was no burking to improve statistics and police stations were doing free registration of crimes. In short, police along with community efforts can ensure that the surroundings even in metros including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai can become safe places.
3) What are the challenges before our law enforcing agencies?
Answer: – Many of these crimes including radicalization of youth, encouraging them for jihadi activities, smuggling of drugs, weapons, cybercrimes, crypto currency are having external linkages. While most of the countries are following rules of business, there a few countries which are also sponsoring incidents of terrorism, fake currency, radicalization and cybercrimes. Government of India is engaging with as many countries as possible, besides enlisting the cooperation of multilateral organizations. Government of India has set up Multiple Agency Centre (MAC) under the Ministry of Home Affairs and shares these details promptly with State Governments. In areas such as control of narcotics, weapons, fake currency, terrorism, Government of India has encouraged training of officers and providing financial assistance for infrastructure for setting up of fast-track courts, creation of forensic labs, helplines, and latest technology. Funding is also provided for additional manpower for a certain period.
4) Reporter: – There is a trend that the gangsters who are lodged in various jails are still able to operate from inside the jail and commit crimes like murder, extortion, threats, smuggling, etc. So, how these can be stopped? What steps are needed to improve jails to be actual prisons and not as their second home? Today prisoners are operating mobiles from inside and can get everything from outside.
Answer: – The issue of reforms in jails is long overdue. Indian jails are operating with archaic infrastructure and British period laws and rules framed more than hundred years ago. The Supreme Court has repeatedly underlined the need to amend jail manuals. Today jails in metropolitan areas everywhere are overcrowd. On the other hand, District Jails are having negligible number of prisoners. As the trials of undertrials are not taking place expeditiously, number of such persons is increasing every day. Unless the court orders, these undertrials cannot be shifted to other jails. They are expected to be produced before the judicial officers for bail frequently. But they can be produced through video conferencing facility. They can even have conversation with their advocates and relatives using video conference facility. Recently implemented ‘Bhartia Nagarik Suraksha Sanvita’ (BNSS) encourages trials through video conferencing facility. Moreover, prisoners can have access to healthcare facilities from medical colleges through video conferencing facility. This was implemented from 2017 till the outbreak of Carona pandemic in February 2020. More than 11000 prisoners had availed this facility successfully. Several trials have been successfully completed using video conferencing facility. Even the Supreme Court and various High Courts are constantly encouraging use of this facility. Using Telecommunication facilities would drastically change the situation in jails. Secondly, most of the jail buildings are in dilapidated conditions. These need to be demolished and buildings with modern requirements need to be provided in a time frame of five to seven years. Modern problems such as using mobile phones or witnessing jail-break movies on TV sets in prisons were unheard of in earlier times. Separate prisons for females also need to be constructed as the number of such women prisoners is increasing every day. Please recall, when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister in Gujrat, he ensured construction of model jail in Ahmedabad. It is equipped with all modern gazettes and worth visiting by one and all. Delay in constructing such type of model jails results in all the problems including corruption, jailbreaks, threats to jail officials, using of mobile phones from within and many more.
5) Reporter: – What is your take on Baba Siddiqui’s matter?
Answer: – As per investigation being done by Crime Branch of Mumbai police, more than twenty accused have been arrested from various parts of the country including the spot where murder took place taking advantage oof e festivities. These culprits have been arrested from Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Bahraich bordering with Nepal. Baba Siddique were under surveillance by the accused.AS per the investigating officer, jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol, believed to be living in Canada, was allegedly behind the murder, but the motive was not clear. The accused were provided weapons, cartridges, SIM (card) and a mobile phone for the murder. It appears neither Baba Siddique nor his son had disclosed about threats if any from any of their business rival or anybody else. Being a day of festival and policemen around two of the culprits were caught from the spot. When any celebrity receives a threat for extortion, he should inform the police immediately and avoid any routine which is easy for their rivals to identify and assault them. Perhaps this was a result of business rivalry and it would be not proper to treat it as political assassination. Investigation would establish the motive as well.
6) Reporter: – Is Mumbai returning to earlier period of nineties when celebrities were receiving threats from underworld gangs?
Answer: – Today with legislations such as Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) as modified in 2012, Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA Act, the police are in a much stronger position to ensure stern action against criminals on record. Recently implemented Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita has also defined organized crimes and mentions penal provisions for the same. These preventive measures would ensure, the situation of nineties would not relapse. In addition, those who receive threats, should not fall victims to the underworld and should refrain from making any payment to extortionists. People should have faith in the competency of the police and help police to nab these criminals. At the same time, people should also take maximum precautions as suggested by police on their websites about their personal safety.
7) Reporter: – What other steps are needed to improve the situation?
Answer: – Today the culprits have entered your wallet through your mobile phones in the form of cybercriminals. Using inducements, or creating fake fear by threatening in the name of digital arrest or marital frauds, using your profiles on social media, increasing number of people are being cheated for hundreds of crores every day. These frauds are happening through emails, SMS, messages through WhatsApp, other social media, calls or video calls. Extortions are taking place using VIPN technology to camouflage identity of the criminals so that their identity is not detected easily. The Centre has frozen around 4.5 lakh “mule’ bank accounts, typically used for laundering proceeds of cybercrimes, in the past year. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), highlighted that fraudsters are nowadays withdrawing payments from such ‘mule’ accounts- which are usually created using KYC documents of another person- through cheques, ATMs, and digitally. Police have been now asked to investigate the role of bank managers/officials in opening such accounts. As a precaution, I would urge everyone to refrain from responding to any video/call unless the same is verified and you are satisfied about the caller’s identity. Similarly, do not download apps which are doubtful. Do not click on links sent to you through e-mails. Before transferring funds, check the person whom you are sending the same. In case you are cheated, contact immediately cybercrime.gov.in by email or dial 1930 /14407 for assistance. Report suspected fraud and unsolicited commercial communication received within last thirty days tohttps://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/chakshu-report-suspectedfraud- communication. Secondly, every effort needs to be made to ensure youth in the country do not fall prey to drugs. There number of rehabilitation centers to assist them for withdrawing in case they are already entangled in the same. Even if they are in great distress, they may dial 1056 DISHA which is the suicide prevention helpline. Thirdly, all efforts be made to bring back juveniles to national mainstream. Skill training schemes have been launched and these need to be explored to improve yourself. Engaging them positively would keep the underworld away from creating havoc in the country. Lastly apart from reacting to crimes in legalistic way, police should play pro-active leadership role in improving social regulation with the help of religious leaders, teachers and several community organizations. These steps would certainly ensure that the situation would improve in the days to come.
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