Patna: Taking strong note of the fact that over 5,000 accused in cases of kidnapping and extortion were absconding, the Patna High Court on Tuesday directed the Bihar Government to set up a special task force (STF) to trace them.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice J.N. Bhat and Justice Shiv Kirti Singh instructed the State Government to constitute a STF in five `crime-prone' districts -- Patna, Muzaffarpur, Begusarai, Purnea and Katihar -- to arrest absconding criminals involved in kidnapping and extortion cases.

After perusing a crime chart for the districts furnished by the Government, the judges said the STF should be provided special powers for search, seizure and arrest of criminals.

The Court gave the order while hearing a case related to the kidnapping of schoolboy Golu from the State capital last year, which it had suo motu converted into a PIL.

Advocate M.P. Gupta, the petitioner in the case, told the Court that only 386 absconding criminals were arrested in August, while 5,433, including many from outside the state, remained at large.

Gupta said at this rate, the State Government would need over six months to arrest the criminals.

Additional Advocate General S.K. Ghosh told the court that nearly 250 people accused in cases of kidnapping and extortion had been convicted during speedy trials by different courts from January to August this year. Many of them were awarded life terms, he said.

To ensure speedy trial of pending cases, 13 advocates had been appointed additional public prosecutors in the Patna Civil Court, he said.

The High Court will next hear the matter on November 6.

PTI

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