Jammu

Rising crime rates in the JKS range, bovine smuggling in Udhampur have become a big public concern, Sanctity of the ‘City of Temples’ needs to be protected; Officers need to learn the strategies of their predecessors

admin

Published on

March 1, 2025

SALIL RAINA

(POONCH TODAY NEWS)

JAMMU/POONCH: After the abrogation of temporary articles 370 and 35-A, J&K police played a remarkable role in establishing peace in the entire J&K, although a few incidents of terrorism and target killings occasionally threw a big challenge to the security forces, but overall, the J&K UT witnessed peace due to the strong efforts of the Home Minister Amit Shah, LG J&K Manoj Sinha, and J&K police.

But during the past some time, the ‘City of Temples’ has been in the news, not for a good reason, but for a bad reason of rising crime rate in the JKS range. The Jewel Chowk gang war incident, high-profile theft at weapon point in the Greater Kailash area, Bathindi incident, other theft cases in the posh areas of Jammu city, crime acts on the ring road, in addition to some other crime cases, have ignited a fear factor among the residents of Jammu. The former mayor of Jammu Municipality, a few days ago, also expressed his displeasure over the state of security affairs in the region. He indirectly questioned the professionalism of Jammu police and levelled other allegations against the police. A senior advocate, on a Facebook portal, said that it seems that ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ were operating in the Jammu region. It is pertinent to mention here that the gang war concept was very active in the Jammu region up to the 90s, but the top brass of J&K police played a significant role and took strong action against the then gangsters. But nearly after three decades, this concept of gang wars, theft cases of the highest order, rising drug trafficking, and bovine smuggling has become a huge concern for the people of the JSK range and Udhampur district. It’s a big question mark on the top brass of police in the JKS and Udhampur district. However, some SHOs in the JSK range have played a remarkable role in proving heavy over crime rates, particularly the SHO posted in high profile areas of Jammu city who have played a big role in the gang war case near Jewel chowk and solving theft case in a Jewellery shop in Gandhinagar and other young SHO, posted in a rural area in the outskirts of Jammu city, who has established the supremacy of the police by taking strong actions against criminals involved in various crimes near the ring road, but overall, the rising crime rate is not digestible to the people of Jammu, as a result, huge frustration of people was seen on social media and on face book portals, especially after the Jewel gang war episode and Greater Kailash theft incident. However, in the Jammu east and south areas, drug trafficking, theft cases, Bathindi-type incidents, and other illegal acts have become routine affairs silently, but the inability of police to take strong action against those involved in such illegal acts has raised a big question mark on the efficiency of a few police officers in the said areas. In other districts of the JSK range, drug trade and illegal mining activities remained heavy with the involvement of some lower-ranking police officials, but the top brass of police never took action against their own men who were seen adopting a questionable silence on the issues. Moreover, the huge bovine smuggling in the Udhampur district is another area of concern that has become a hot topic among the Udhampur residents, as no strong efforts were taken by the police against the bovine smuggling mafia. As a result, an impression was generated in the minds of residents of Udhampur town that without the involvement of a few police officials with the bovine mafia, such an unhealthy practice was not possible. However, SSP Udhampur, a few days back, deliberated over the issue and strongly directed the police officials to take strong action against those involved in bovine smuggling. On the other hand, due to the reportedly weak policing in the JSK range, the confidence of criminals has increased, and this has reduced the sanctity of ‘City of Temples’ as people have started expressing their concerns by saying that ‘Jammu’ is becoming ‘Bihar’ when it comes to issues like gang wars and big theft cases at weapon point. Moreover, in the number of police stations in the JKS range, some blue-eyed lower-rank police personnel were never shifted from their place for long, as they reportedly were involved in managing everything behind the curtains with the backing of their mentors in the department, and it also raised a big question mark on the functioning of police in the said range. The J&K police have a huge reputation in the country because of their anti-terror role for decades, but a few people who believe in misusing their official positions have brought a bad name to the police, and this issue needs the proper attention of the top brass of the police. Post abrogation of temporary articles, the then DGPs, IGPs, DIGs, and SSPs in the JSK and other ranges remained instrumental in proving heavy over terrorism and various types of crime that had the capability to disturb the public peace, but now, due to the lack of coordination between different police ranks in the JSK range and Udhampur district, forces inimical to peace and bovine smugglers seem to feel free to operate from wherever they want, as was evident from recent acts of crime in the JSK range. Some police officers were seen playing smart in the media, but on the ground, they have not shown any remarkable performance in dealing with the crime, especially in the important areas of Jammu city. Important chairs in the JSK and Udhampur-Reasi range need to be equipped with professionally strong officers to keep the reputation of J&K police high in the eyes of the public with their performance-oriented results to counter various crimes swiftly and in a solid way. Those lower-rank police officials, who are involved in indirectly encouraging illegal acts of any kind, need to be shifted from the place of postings. If the police in the Kashmir zone have totally ensured peace by proving heavy over any act of crime, then it’s the responsibility of police in the Jammu region to do the same. The visible revival of the gang war concept, horrible theft cases at weapon point, illegal mining activities, bovine smuggling, and flourishing drug trade is a horrible sign for the peaceful and nationalist people of the JSK and Udhampur-Reasi ranges and needs to be tackled strongly and professionally by all means. The proper coordination from top brass of police up to the ground level needs to be strengthened by all means to achieve a desired result against the emerging trends of crime, particularly in the JSK range. The present team of high-ranked officers holding important positions needs to go through the strategies adopted by their predecessors, particularly after the abrogation of 370 and 35-A in waging a strong and performance-oriented war against the terror ecosystem, gang war concept, high-profile theft cases, illegal mining, drug mafia, and other crimes, to restore the people’s confidence in the working of the country’s elite force of J&K police.