Spurt in crime: CM summons top officials

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the spurt in crime in Lucknow, Mathura and Saharanpur districts.

He summoned principal secretary (home), Arvind Kumar, ADG (law and order) Anand Kumar, ADG (Lucknow zone), Abhay Prasad, IGP Lucknow Jai Narayan Singh and SSP, Lucknow, Deepak Kumar to his official residence. A senior state government official present in the meeting told HT that the CM took the police officers to task and asked them why cops were unable to check crime. “If the officers are unable to check crime, they are free to leave their post,” was the terse warning of the CM, he said.

Expressing concern over incidents of dacoities in Lucknow district, CM said the police should work out the three cases on priority basis and arrest the criminals. The police officers told the CM that dacoities had been committed by nomadic gangs involved in criminal activities. The police have important leads about the movement of criminals and they will be nabbed soon, said the officers. The police were organising night combing and patrolling in all districts, they added.

Yogi also expressed annoyance over the refusal of the policemen deputed on UP 100 service to take the two injured youths to hospital. Both the youths succumbed to their injuries. He said such acts of cops had an adverse impact on the state police’s image. Expressing anguish over the death of a child in a police encounter in Mathura, the CM asked the officers why there had been a sudden spurt in crime in Mathura. “The police have failed to take action against the criminals,” he said.