The Hindu : National : Noida killings not law and order problem: Mulayam

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Wednesday, Jan 03, 2007
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Noida killings not law and order problem: Mulayam

Atiq Khan

Village chowkidars to help police at thana level

PHOTOS: RAJEEV BHATT

INCONSOLABLE: Parents and relatives of the children killed at Nithari village of Noida in Uttar Pradesh break down after receiving the compensation cheques on Tuesday.

LUCKNOW: Under attack for the dubious role of the police in the serial killings of children in Noida,Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday said the issue was not related to the law and order situation.

The situation in Uttar Pradesh was better than other States, he said. In Delhi, 102 children were kidnapped for every 10 lakh of population. But in Uttar Pradesh, which had the largest population, only 16 cases of kidnapping of children had come to light in the three years of his rule, he claimed.

Referring to a senior BJP leader's statement that "jungle raj" prevailed in the State and the situation was better during the BJP regime, Mr. Yadav alleged that under the BJP Government the average rate of murders was 700 a day.

Addressing a village chowkidar convention here, the Chief Minister said his Government's efforts to remove inequality had irked his opponents who raised the bogey of law and order.

Around 53,000 chowkidars attended the convention — Uttar Pradesh is the only State which had institutionalised the concept.

Mr. Yadav announced several sops for them on the occasion. Their monthly honorarium would be increased from Rs.500 to Rs.1,000 and Rs.1,500 would be given to each for buying bicycles. Arms licences would be given to them on priority.

Chowkidars would assist the police at the thana level for maintaining law and order, he said and directed the Director-General of Police Bua Singh to issue instructions in this regard.

Mr. Yadav said chowkidars had earlier played a crucial role in the development of villages but over a period of time they were treated as servants by policemen.

RLD seeks CBI probe

The Rashtriya Lok Dal has demanded a CBI inquiry into the Noida serial killings.

Lok Dal general secretary Anil Dubey criticised the police for sweeping the issue under the carpet and sitting over the complaints relating to the kidnapping of children for the last two years. Mr. Dubey said since the role of the police was under a cloud and the possibility of the crime having links in Punjab and Uttarakhand could not be ruled out a CBI inquiry should be ordered.

The two-member committee set up by the Uttar Pradesh Government to probe the killings visited Nithari village on Tuesday.

The committee, constituted by Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, has been asked to submit its report in three days.

According to a Home Department spokesperson, Home Secretary Arun Kumar Sinha and ADG, Law and Order, A.C. Sharma, went to Noida and the village and held discussions with the police and officials. Already, seven policemen have been suspended for dereliction of duty.

Addressing reporters, Public Works Department and Energy Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav supported the Noida police and said that the case had been cracked by the police.

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