Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
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| Use of firearms in Nagpur |
As the use of firearms increased this year, the number of cases in which seizure of firearms has declined remarkably
By Dheeraj Fartode
Use of fire arms by goons is off late on increase in the city whose expanding horizon has already giving sleepless night to police machinery. Some days back, two rounds were fired at a restaurant in North Nagpur, while just last night a gang of thugs fired upon their rival in busy Central Avenue.
So openly these country made pistols are being brandished or used, now one shudders to shape of things in the future. What is more appalling is that while crime graph on use of guns shows increase, the corresponding seizure fails to keep pace with the earlier figure.
Though top police bosses admit to concern on this changing profile on crime front but then little is visible in policing to curb it growing gun culture. While it is well known that the country made revolvers are being smuggled from distance Uttar Pradesh to neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, but then steps to curb the entry points it seems is not yet effective. Number of crime incident, in which fire arms were used, have steadily increased in 2013 and as compared to previous year it shows a whopping increase of 60 per cent in first eight months.
As per the data procured from Crime Branch, city police have registered 15 incidents till August 31, 2013, in which firearms was used. However the number was 10 last year. On the other side, the police have seized seven (07) weapons during special operations or nakabandi but last year the figure of seizure was 12. The trend therefore should ring alarm bells in police establishments.
Five years ago only four (04) incidents were registered in city in which revolver was used and cops seized eight (08) weapons. In year 2010 only five incidents were reported and cops managed to capture six (06) weapons from different areas of the city. Since 2011 there has been gradual increase and city police reported eight (08) incidents and after intensified combing about 11 firearms were seized.
Asked about the changing pattern of crime in city, Commissioner of Police K K Pathak admitted that the matter is of grave concern and added instruction are issued to Crime Branch to launch special operations to go after goons. Special emphasis is being laid on weeding out firearms and Pathak was hopeful about positive results in coming time. He further said that cops also got a vital clue in Raja Ghaus case about the arms link from Uttar Pradesh and the issue was taken-up with Anti-Terrorist Squad of Uttar Pradesh police. When ‘The Hitavada’ drew his attention towards Madhya Pradesh, from where maximum arms are coming in city, the CP said that Crime Branch will definitely put a check on it.
Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Babasaheb Kangale said the increasing use of firearms by criminals is a worrying sign for city. It’s well known that Nagpur being centrally located is favourite among Naxal cadre, for periodic rest. The open use of firearms even in petty disputes now demands tough action from police department or their deterrence would wane. Crime branch and Detection Branch (DB) of police station, which are known as backbone of city police, needs to pull-up their socks.
Kalamna, Jaripatka, Gittikhadan, Nandanvan, Pachpaoli, Yashodhara Nagar, Mankapur area of Koradi, Khaparkheda, some area of Wadi, Hudkeshwar and Ajni police station are cause of concerns for city police as migrated people from Madhya Pradesh, Utter Pradesh and Bihar are staying in this areas and special focus should be their, Kangale stated.
Smugglers are using buses, railways and other means of transports for smuggling in these firearms. Police should intensify checking and co-ordinate with Government Railway Police (GPR) and other police units.
Coal belt in Nagpur
dist. cause of concern
Co-ordination of city police with Rural Police is also needed to combat firearms smuggling as all entry points to city are from the jurisdiction of district police. Trend of arms smuggling is also observed in rural area and maximum is under the jurisdiction of Khaparkheda police station. Walni, Sillewara, Chaknapur, Khaparkheda, Kamptee, Kanhan areas which is dotted with mines of Western Coalfields Ltd. are known to have people having countrymade revolvers. In past, Rural Police had seized firearms from these places. Sources informed that mine workers of the area are selling firearms to city criminals which becomes a serious threat for citizens.
Joint Commissioner of Police, Sanjay Saxena, said that 1800 persons have been issued arms license for their safety and the number is 1963 in Nagpur Rural, as per District Collectorate. The persons have taken license for their safety but most of them may not have use the weapon in last few years.
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