The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Keeping dacoits at bay

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Tuesday, Mar 18, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Keeping dacoits at bay

S. Harpal Singh

Keeping vigil: Villagers patrolling in groups in the bylanes of Dhannur in Boath mandal to check dacoities in the area.

DHANNUR (ADILABAD DT.): Visitors who cannot avoid reaching Kuchlapur, Dhannur (B), Pochera, Kouta(B) and Kanugutta villages in Boath mandal in the dead of the night should make sure that they have a good reason to be there. Otherwise, the patrol parties comprising of people in these villages who are armed with sticks are likely to give the toughest time of their life.

Fearing attacks by dacoits, the village development committees (VDC) in these five villages have initiated night patrols by youths and other able bodied men in the by-lanes of respective villages. “The recent dacoity in three houses in Pochera village and the attempt to rob passengers of an auto near Kuchlapur have made us feel insecure. We can not depend entirely on the police for protection. So we organised the night patrols," explained Kunta Ramulu, Dhannur Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) member.

N. Jagan Mohan Reddy, a vigilante, says the villagers apprehend more attacks by dacoits because of general state of unemployment following the end of agricultural season. “Our villages being closer to Maharashtra border are easy targets for dacoits from that State. Dacoities usually take place in summer and invariably the criminals are from the neighbouring State. There have been instances in the past when criminals from across the border have given us trouble,” he revealed.

These villages form very attractive targets for criminals also because of the bad condition of the roads. Take for example the road that leads to Kuchalapur and Dhannur from the Boath main road. This makes answering emergencies that much more difficult.

The VDCs of respective villages bestow duty upon individuals after considering the names from a list. A stick is delivered on the door step of the family whose turn it is to send one of its members to join the night patrol. In the event of some member absenting himself from the ‘duty’, he is fined Rs. 50 while the work is allotted him on the next night.

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