BY: A Correspondent
DATE: 2011-05-16
PLACE: Mumbai
DUE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC PLYING ON THE HIGHWAYS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON,
CRIMINALS HAVE THEIR ANTENNAE UP IN SEARCH OF VICTIMS. ADOPTING A FEW
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES CAN GO A LONG WAY IN ENSURING SAFETY IN THOSE
LONG COMMUTES
Police records may say that crime rates have gone down by a
wholesome eight per cent this year. But not all is well in the city
highways, where crimes have been on the rise, rather alarmingly. This
manifold increase may be attributed to seasonal factors: since its
holiday time, traffic on the highways has multiplied. As a
consequence, criminals have narrowed in on these arterial roads as
the most lucrative areas for their underhand ways. The misdeeds that
have been reportedly on the upward swing are robbery, dacoity and
murder, mostly of senior citizens. Cases of chain snatching too have
recorded a steep rise.
Alarmed with the sudden spurt in the number of highway robbery
cases, the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) has directed
senior police officials to intensify the frequency of their routine
nightly patrols. They have also been instructed to maintain a
database of the vehicles that are checked during the surprise
nakabandis. The most common phenomenon witnessed is that of armed
robberies, mostly striking the private buses plying on the highways.
"Most of the bus passengers carry large amounts of cash and gold.
This puts them at high risk for dacoities, since a number of gangs
operate along the highway," said a senior police official, attached
to the State Highway Department.
MODUS OPERANDI
Going by police records, there are two very common ploys used by
dacoity gangs on the highways. Criminals are on the prowl on
highways, in search of empty vehicles. Once they identify such a
vehicle, they flag them down for lifts. No sooner do they enter the
car, do they threaten the driver, loot him of his belongings and flee
the area. Those 'highwaymen' are usually armed, and rather
intimidating.
There is reportedly a gang operating on the highways, on the lookout
for trucks, lorries and matadors transporting costly medical
consignments. "They have a network of informants who tip them on the
route that a vehicle will take. The gang then hires a small car,
overtakes the vehicle, and forces it to make a halt," said
superintendent of police Sunil Khole, Sindhudurg division. "They then
threaten the driver, and flee with the consignments," he added.
COMMUTE SAFELY
> Adopt these measures to ensure that you are safe on the highways:
> Avoid sporting jewellery when you are travelling along the
highway. Also try and avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
> Avoid stopping for strangers who request for lifts. Do not halt
your vehicle at isolated spots.
> If your vehicle is butted from the back or the side, do not emerge
from the car immediately. This could be the deceptive modus operandi
of the gang. Instead, just jot down the licence plate number. Also
take note of the model and colour of the vehicle, and the appearance
of the passengers. Rush to the nearest police station and report the
incident.
> Do not stop if you are flagged down by men who sport police gear,
but drive in civilian vehicles. This too could be a devious scheme.
Instead, just proceed to the nearest police station.
HOW TO AVOID CAR-JACKING
*Ensure that all you lock all the car doors and windows while
driving and parking the car.
*Always park your vehicle at a safe and secure place.
*Do not leave behind prominent valuables within the car, to avoid
attracting attention.
*Once the car is parked, don't spend a lengthy period within it.
*Do not stop at secluded places.
*Avoid chatting with strangers.
Highway history:
Maharashtra State Highway Police: The State Traffic branch (STB)
was formed in the year 1948. It was empowered to carry out cases
under the Motor Vehicle (MV) Act. However, it was disbanded in March
1989 after a number of complaints were filed against the body. In the
year 1992, the Highway Safety Patrol Scheme was initiated due to an
increase in incidences of dacoities and robberies on the Highway. In
September 1996, the Highway Police league came into existence. It
reserved a limited number of legal powers under the MV Act on the NH4
(Mumbai - Pune Highway) and the Expressway, renewable on a yearly
basis. Till 2009, there were 49 traffic aid posts (TAP), controlling
and monitoring traffic on the highways. In 2010, the Government of
Maharashtra sanctioned 11 more TAPs.
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