VISAKHAPATNAM: With steep increase in the number of land grabbing cases and crimes involving rowdy-sheeters, the city police have prepared a list of rowdy-sheeters who had offences against them in the past few months in the city. To intensify crackdown, plans are on to invoke Preventive Detention (PD) Act on active rowdy-sheeters after a close observation for maintenance of law and order.
As many as 320 rowdy-sheeters were identified in the DCP field survey in the city limits. Of the 320 rowdy-sheeters, Kancharapalem area tops the list with 40, followed by Gajuwaka with 31 and PM Palem with 27. Police commissioner Amit Garg said that there was strict vigilance on the identified rowdy-sheeters.
The next phase involves deploying teams and identifying the active members from the list. All plans have been put in place to invoke the PD Act to control the crime rate, the CP said.
According to police reports, as many as 101 grave property offences were registered in 2013 as against 140 last year and 50 in the current year (till April 30). Recently a rowdy-sheeter and accused in a double murder case T Anil Kumar (28) was hacked to death by his rival group, including three rowdy-sheeters at Allipuram. Though the police claimed that it was a case of revenge killing, they also did not rule out possible retaliation by Anil Kumar’s group in future. The police are suspecting that the death of Anil Kumar might lead to law and order problem.
In the past a tab was kept on rowdy-sheeters’ activities in the areas of their activity and cases were registered. But Amit Garg clarified that apart from area-wise observation on the active members, person-wise focus will be their plan of action.
“Apart from the grave offences, enforcement cases which have been on the rise at present is our priority,” the commissioner added. He said that apart from cracking down hard against the perpetrators, the police have decided to seize the premises where such incidents take place.
Enforcement cases which include gambling, prostitution, nuisance and some petty cases appear to be on the rise. As per police reports, as many as 6,842 cases have been registered in the city in 2013 as against 5,669 in 2014. Till April this year, in a span of just four months, as many as 3,282 cases have been registered.
Amit Garg said that they have addressed the RDO for seizure of buildings where the offences took place if the cases are under investigation or yet to have a charge sheet filed against them.
“The Executive magistrate will have to pass the orders for our decision and we are awaiting their response,” said Amit Garg.