Mayhem in Punjab: Six Petrol pumps, bread company van, jewellery shop looted on single day

The newspapers on December 14 were full of reports on more than half a dozen incidents of loot and burglary on single day on December 13. The spate of looting incidents is continuing unabated for the last over two months. The Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Kapurthala districts are the worst hit where there is no end of looting, snatching and burglary incidents.

On December 13, the burglars looted four petrol pumps on Phagwara GT road within a span of one hour. The gun bearing miscreants dared to loot petrol pumps while police was not seen around for hours. The burglars who came in a swift car also fired in the air to scare the people. They escaped easily after looting cash.

On same day four petrol pumps were looted in Ludhiana. The burglars carrying fire arms struck at a petrol pump opposite police station near Ladhowal on Jalandhar-Ludhiana highway. The second incident occurred near village Nandpur. 

This is not enough. The burglars looted gold worth crores of rupees in Jalandhar. The accused came to Gujjrawalan jewelers on busy Red Cross chowk at around 9 PM when owners were locking the show room. The burglars in their early thirties, escaped with jewellery worth several lakhs. 

The burglars looted a cash of Rs.29 lakhs near Khant Mannpur village on Chandigarh- Ludhiana road from a bread company van when its two employees were taking cash to deposit in a bank in Ludhiana. The burglars fired from revolver to puncher the van.  They escaped towards Chandigarh.

Only last month, the criminals snatched two cars from Phagwara residents when one person  was washing it outside his home and the other was getting ready to go to his office. The incidents of snatching are on rise in Phagwara despite hue and cry raised by the local residents.

There are several similar incidents that go unreported where police do not register FIR or it facilitates compromise between victims and accused on direction of its political bosses. 

 In almost all the incidents, the burglars were young and Punjabi speaking. In the past several cases were reported where migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were found involved in criminal activities. O late the involvement of Punjabi youth in criminal actions is matter of serious thought. 

 It is believed that unemployment and political patronage to the criminals is main reason of rise in such incidents. The police who are working under heavy political pressure is failing in its duty to protect the innocent citizens. The anarchy prevailing in the state reflects the kind of administration is provided by ruling SAD-BJP alliance. Since elections are near, the fear of use of muscle power during poll has been expressed by election commission of India as well. It would be the same elements that are creating mayhem on roads would turn election workers of certain political parties.