Rajkot, 3 November 2014

As DGP of Gujarat Police PC Thakur rushed to Rajkot to review worsening crime situation in the city, several victims of Bali Dangar gang also rushed to the Police Commissioner office to get their voice heard.

“My complaint against Bali Gang’s firing on my bungalow was filed only after press reports. Earlier police had refused to file complaint.”
-Kamlesh Ramani

“Bali gang’s persons come to my home at 2.00 am, they knock my door and ask me to meet Bali and Jaypalsinh.”
-Mr. Purohit

“This is the gang of 100-150 persons. If two-three are in jail, others are out in open to operate the gang. Even when police claim they have catch some culprit, you find he is actually released after a few days because of nexus of police, some lawyers and criminals. Goons can’t dare to do what they are doing these days in Rajkot. They are able to commit crime because they are backed by politicians and police.”
-Govindbhai Patel

“We are facing this problem of land mafias in our village which is located close to Rajkot. Persons from Bali gang continue to surface there. We the people of five villages have joined hands now against this nuisance.”
-Sarpanch of one village

Impact of DGP’s visit:

We don’t know what is the impact of his visit on policemen of Rajkot. Let’s wait for some days, hoping action.

But Thakur’s brief talk with media persons was not impressive at all.

Thakur firstly praised police’s success in yesterday’s firing case in which local financier Shaktiraj was critically injured. The fact is that, this was a very easy case to solve. Shaktiraj was shot at for personal reason by his relative. CCTV footage had captured the culprit. The case was anyway very easy to solve.

The core problem of law and order situation in Rajkot is associated with goons and gangs involved mainly in illegal money lending and land and property grabbing.

When asked about this type of crime, Thakur said Rajkot police was doing well against such mafias in last few months.

Now this was shocking to hear, because Rajkot police has been proved completely failed in recent months against crime.

May be DGP was praising Rajkot police in public because of professional compulsions, but message has not gone well in public after his short briefing.

Only hope is that, inside the meeting room he lambasted police officers and suggested concrete corrective steps.