Former cops worried by rising crime trend in MP

The image of Madhya Pradesh has taken a beating due to the recent spurt in incidents of crime, be it the murder of Right to Information activist Shehla Masood or the killing of young Indian Police Service officer, Narendra Kumar allegedly by the growing mining mafia in the state.

"This is a new trend in Madhya Pradesh and a very dangerous one. Such incidents were unheard of in the state and it is a matter of grave concern," former Director General of police S C Tripathi told PTI on Friday.

These things normally take place in Banda-Kanpur region of Uttar Pradesh, but this a new thing for the state, he said.

"It (Shehla's killing) was a well calculated murder in which first the target was eliminated and later to destroy the evidence, the shooter was gunned down," he said adding though it is a matter of probe that whether he was killed because of gang rivalry, accident or something else.

The Central Bureau of Investigation probe is moving in a right direction but it has to recover the weapon to prove that the bullet used in the murder came out of the particular pistol or not, he said.

"This is a dangerous trend in Madhya Pradesh as earlier professional gangs were involved in crimes like kidnapping or dacoity, but never an assassin was hired for eliminating someone and that too by a woman. I never came across such a thing in my over three-decade long career," Tripathi said.

Endorsing the view, former DGP A R Pawar said, "even I have never come across an incident like Shehla's murder in which professional shooters were engaged by a woman for eliminating another female."

The former DGP blamed the current lifestyle, especially invasion of TV channels in people's day-to-day lives for the situation. However, he said that it was an isolated case as far as Madhya Pradesh is concerned.

On the alleged murder of young IPS officer, Narendra Kumar, Tripathi said it is a matter of concern that why sub-ordinate policemen like his personal security did not stand with him when he tried to stop the tractor.

While RTI activist Shehla was murdered on August 16, 2011 right in front of her house, Kumar was killed when a tractor-trolley he tried to stop hit him and crushed him under the wheels.

The State Congress Media Committee Chairman, Manak Agrawal blamed the poor governance and unnecessary interference in the matter of policing by RSS-BJP forces for the situation in Madhya Pradesh which was earlier known as an the 'Island of Peace'.