ROURKELA: With a series of crimes rocking the steel city lately, Rourkela police has launched Operation Surakshya to restore people’s confidence in policing and make the city safer.
In addition to a host of ongoing measures for crackdown on crimes, the fresh initiative launched on a mission mode envisages further strengthening police surveillance on criminals using scientific and technical means. The focus is on identification of common, hardened and habitual offenders indulging in crimes like burglary, loot, dacoity, robbery and motor vehicle lifting.
Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani said a special drive is being carried out to methodically store photographs and finger prints of such criminals as per the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022. Efforts are underway to streamline regular surveillance and ‘hazira’ of habitual offenders and history-sheeters at respective police stations, he said, adding the list of such elements would get updated every fortnight.
The SP also informed that initiation of proceedings under section 129 of Bharatiya Nagarik Sukraksha Sanhita (BNSS) against these offenders has begun. He said special screening is also being made for inter-district and inter-state offenders for similar proceedings.
To execute long-pending non-bailable warrants (NBWs), a drive is underway since November-end across Rourkela police district for mass proclamation of fugitive offenders and attachment of their properties.
Wadhwani appealed the citizens to report such suspicious activities and individuals to the nearby police stations or district police control room and assured to maintain confidentiality and suitably reward them.
Operation Surakshya, he said, aims to curb overall crime scenario while instilling confidence in citizens that no wrong doers would go unpunished. Till now around 1,340 habitual offenders have been identified to systematically profile all habitual offenders by end of January 2025.
Earlier, police QR codes were installed across parks along with implementation of beat constable initiative. Different police stations are also carrying out crackdown on illegal congregation and consumption of alcohol/drugs at open dark places.
DIG (western range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said due to huge industrial and economic activities, Rourkela city is target of criminals groups along with inter-district and inter-state drug trade and the multi-pronged police strategies have gradually started yielding results.
In cases of crimes against women, culprits have been arrested immediately, he said adding, the police are working on speedy trials for conviction of the culprits.