No increase in dacoity cases in Mumbai: Patil

Mumbai, June 28 (UNI) Deputy chief minister R R Patil today said there is no rise in incidents of dacoity in the city and its adjoining suburbs despite media going agog about such incidents.

''The number of such incidents are similar to that of last year.

But since media does not have any other big news, they are concentrating more on these incidents,'' said Mr Patil, who also holds the Home portfolio, while talking to reporters here today.

He said three persons were recently killed in the dacoity at Kavathe Mahankal in Sangli district, but that did not get any prominence. However, the incidents in the city get prominence because of media.

He said the government has allowed jewellers to have their own weapons and for which, licenses could be given.

He said a jeweller's shop at Mahalaxmi, which was looted recently, was purchasing stolen material. Police are investigating whether there was any connection behind these two incidents.

Mr Patil said the dacoits are from the state as well as from other states. Seventeen people have been arrested so far and one was killed when police had to open fire in self-defence. All of them were arrested in Pune.

He said it was wrong to implicate a particular community in connection with spate of dacoities. The Phase-Pardhi community's name figured in in these dacoities.

The government had sanctioned Rs 30 crore for the survey of this community and the work is near completion, he added.

UNI