The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Police must get its act together

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Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Police must get its act together

S. Harpal Singh

There is need for campaigns on the flip side of ‘love’ in the agency areas to prevent the exploitation of gullible girls

Sensitising: Adilabad Town CI S. Bala Raju at a campaign organised at a girls hostel.

ADILABAD: Under normal circumstances, incidents of crime in Adilabad district related to sex and love tangles would have served as a wake-up call for the authorities, but some recent incidents have stirred a hornet’s nest among local residents to some extent. The alleged existence of a pornography ‘racket’ has also added fuel to the fire, but failed to stir the law-enforcers, raising many an eyebrow.

Apart from arresting two accused in a case of exploitation of a minor girl allegedly by an inter-State gang, the Police Department has done little to instil confidence among the people. The victim was the subject of a porn video purported to have been shot while she was under the influence of drugs. Many youngsters in the town carry clips of this porno video in their cell phones.

The police maintain that the porn VCD is morphed. Yet, the fact that the girl was exploited is clear from the victim’s deposition and should not have been missed by the investigating officers. Police officers are facing severe criticism for the ‘selective’ way in which the investigation is being carried out.

Stabbing incident

Another incident that should also make the authorities sit up and take note relates to the stabbing of a young tribal girl by a jilted youth. This incident stands out not so much for the brazenness of the youth as it is for taking place in Jainoor, a tribal village. Awareness campaigns on the flip side of ‘love’ are urgently required in the agency areas to prevent the exploitation of gullible girls. The plethora of cases of girls launching protests for having been cheated by their lovers also needs the attention of the authorities.

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Andhra Pradesh