Over 3K wanted criminals hiding in other states, foreign countries

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 13

The Ludhiana police are sitting on the long list of proclaimed offenders (POs) who have been playing hide and seek with the police for years. Most absconders are from Ludhiana, remaining from other districts and states. Some of the absconders are even hiding in foreign countries.

69 POs hiding in foreign countries

69 POs are hiding in foreign countries. The maximum 54 are from Nepal, 8 from Canada, 4 from the USA, 2 from France and 1 from Dubai.

Names of 100 POs being removed

The Ludhiana police have started an exercise to delete the POs declared under petty offences. These offences, include gambling, accident, fight, minor thefts etc. After registration of cases when accused are not arrested, the police declare them POs as per the law but the police don’t pay heed to arrest them due to the lack of resources.

Some interesting facts

• Some POs are facing liquor smuggling cases involving five or less bottles. The police don’t bother to nab such persons.
• Some petty criminals belong to other states mentioned wrong addresses at the time of FIR registration.
• Shortage of manpower and resources dissuade police from conducting raids at other districts, states.
• Some POs have even died but police don’t have updated record, so their names remain in the POs list.

As per the data obtained from the city police, as many as 3,125 persons have been evading arrest for years of which 2,215 have been declared POs under Section 299 of the CrPC and 910 under Sections 82 and 83 of the CrPC. The number of POs are constantly increasing as last year the number was around 2,800 only.

Most of the POs are related to the offences of cheating cases followed by the offences of drug smuggling, thefts, arms act, robberies, murder etc. The absconders of heinous crime are in less numbers because police make efforts to arrest them while the absconders of petty crimes are in more numbers and police make little efforts to arrest them. Police station Sadar has maximum 257 POs followed by 241 in Jodhewal 236 in police station-5, 209 in Sarabha Nagar, 213 in Focal Point, 183 in police station-2 etc. The Tibba police station has only 10 POs.

DCP Law and Order Simratpal Singh Dhindsa told The Tribune that police’s first priority is to arrest POs wanted in drug smuggling, heinous crime, big fraud cases and exercise is on. The POs hiding in foreign countries are also on the police radar and they will be arrested once they land at any airport in the country.