Hardened criminals: Sindh govt decides to introduce electronic-tagging bill

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a meeting to work out a strategy to eradicate street crimes in the megacity, decided to legislate on electronic tagging (E-tagging) of criminals involved in repeated crime and decided to start targeted operations against the muggers.

The meeting was held at CM House on Monday evening and was attended by Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Advocate General Salman Talibuddin, IG Police Mushtaq Maher, Home Secretary Saeed Mangnejo, Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon, Additional IG Special Branch Javed Odho, Deputy DG Rangers Brigadier Rauf Shahzad, Secretary Law Ali Ahmed Baloch, DIGs and provincial heads of intelligence agencies.

Shah said that there were a number of criminals who were habitual. “I want electronic tagging of such criminals to be made so that close eye could be kept on them.”

The Electronic tagging is a system in which a criminal or suspected criminal has an electronic device attached to them which enables the police to know if they leave a particular area.

The chief minister said that during the last one and half month a new surge of street crime has created a wave of fear and insecurity in the city. “I usually visit the city secretly but hardly have seen the police and Rangers on the roads or on patrolling in the respective area,” he said, adding this was unacceptable at all. Murad Ali Shah said that some serious mugging incidents have taken place in which citizens have lost their lives.

The police officers told the meeting that during 2022, 123 encounters with criminals had been conducted in which 12 criminals were killed and 82 injured. Moreover, 1217 criminals involved in robberies were arrested; 292 criminals were held in vehicle snatching/ theft cases and 903 illicit weapons recovered from the arrested accused.

It was pointed out that out of 7179 arrested accused, 3666 were bailed out and 3513 others acquitted. At this the chief minister said that it was the weakness of the police as they were not investigating the cases properly.

He said that he would pay surprise visits to different areas of the city. He asked the police and Rangers to beef up patrolling, snap checking and remain active in their areas for protection of citizens. He said that the SHOs must have the knowledge of the criminals who are active in their respective areas, and added he would remove such SHOs who showed negligence in curbing the crime.

The meeting was told that some gangs were operating from the jails. At this the chief minister directed the home department to launch a massive operation in all the jails of the province and take strict action against such criminals.

Adl IG Police said that over 15,000 posts of constables were vacant in the city. At this, the chief minister directed IG Police to expedite recruitment of the constables and keep it a regular practice because 1500 to 2000 policemen were retiring every year. The IG Police said that presently recruitment of constables was in progress.

Murad Ali Shah directed IG Police, Home Secretary and law department to suggest necessary legislation so that getting bail could be made difficult for the habitual criminals.

The meeting decided to lift narcotics addicts from the streets and shift them to the rehabilitation centres.

The chief minister said that the ‘safe city project’ has come to a tendering stage under which the entire Red Zone and all the important places/ installations would be covered.

Meanwhile, it was decided that the CCTV cameras installed by private persons at their streets, business centres and such other places would be registered to facilitate them.

Sindh Chief Minister also directed the police to act against private guards roaming in the city brandishing their weapons.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022