SHILLONG:
All India Trinamool Congress legislator George B Lyngdoh has said the intelligence wing of police department appears to have failed given that either perpetrators of various crimes are not apprehended or only the small fries are caught while the kingpins remain at large.
Moving a cut motion during the voting for supplementary demands for grants for the police department during the ongoing budget session in the assembly, he raised the matter of drug menace asserting that there are only a few instances where drugs have been confiscated and small players arrested whereas the kingpins escape the police dragnet.
“There seems to be failure of intelligence, failure to nab culprits accused of various crimes,” he said.
He said, “We need to find out who the kingpins are. The kingpins are never arrested.”
Referring to the IED blasts, he said that the police have not been able to anticipate such incidents.
Lyngdoh said, “Arresting a few kids and not getting to the masterminds is also a matter of concern because they may have been lured by some things to go to the streets and plant the IEDs. But who are the masterminds?”
He said that FIRs have been filed against trucks for illegal transportation and said, “The investigation division has not been pulling up its socks to ensure that the charge sheets are filed.”
As for illegal coal mining, Lyngdoh asked what has happened to the cases filed in those areas where the labourers have died since 2019 and other recent cases. He said, “Is the government taking any action?” He also raised concern on cyber crimes.
Another TMC legislator, Himalaya Shangpliang, appealed to the Home (Police) department to improve the forensic lab in the state by equipping it with machines and manpower by recruiting technocrats and forensic experts.
He said POCSO and rape cases take a very long time to be solved due to the lack of machines and equipment in the forensic lab.
“The forensic lab of the state has been upgraded. I would appeal to the honourable minister in-charge Home, to stress more on purchase of the latest kind of equipment so that detection and prosecution of cases do not take long,” he said.
On the other hand, Congress MLA Process T Sawkmie sought a clarification from the Home minister on whether it is a fact that the petrol pump that has long supplied petrol and diesel to the police department has been discontinued because the department could not pay the pending bills for a long time.
Speaking about proper utilisation of human resources in the Home department, Leader of Opposition and Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma said, “Putting some people in one place for donkeys years and keeping on transferring people repeatedly has to be corrected and measures have to be taken to ensure that there is proper utilisation of human resources.”
Meanwhile the Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui in his reply said that the police department will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the menace in the society is eradicated.
“Regarding the allegation that we caught only the small fry leaving the kingpin. Sir, it is not the duty of the government to protect anyone. Criminal is a criminal whether small or big,” he said.
Referring to record where more than 200 cases are filed and charge-sheeted with some conviction, he said, “But I request the honourable member, if you know any kingpin who are doing this, kindly inform discreetly, openly or with the police department so immediate action could be taken.”
As for supply of petrol and diesel that has been stopped, Rymbui said that these are recurring expenses and assured that the department will try to clear the bill.