Govt grilled for spurt in crime in state capital

Bhopal, July 23(UNI) The BJP government was grilled in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly today by the opposition Congress for the sudden spurt in loot, dacoities and house-breaks in the state capital alleging the worsening law and order situation had created insecurity among the people.

Raising the issue through a call attention notice, Mr Arif Aqueel (Cong), who also staged a walkout, referred to the robbery at the residence of retired principal Prof Virendra Singh Rastogi in the state capital's Piplani area last month and charged that the police had failed to nab those involved in the incident. Prof Rastogi and his wife were killed and his son and daughter-in-law were injured in the incident.

Minister of state for Home Nagendra Singh, in his reply, claimed two members of the Pardi community- Jugnu and Indal- had been arrested in this connection. A piece of silver and a mobile phone set had also been recovered. Four more criminals involved in the loot were yet to be arrested and the investigation was progressing in proper direction, he added.

Mr Aqueel grilled the minister for not arranging identification parade of the arrested people so far and said the arrests were part of an attempt of coverup.

Mr Aqueel staged a walkout alleging the government was not serious in checking the crime graph through proper investigation.

The Minister said the mobile phone set looted from the retired principal's residence had been sold to a criminal-Rajesh Pardi- in the Habibganj area of the state capital and it had been recovered.

After the crime, two criminals got themselves lodged in Khurai jail after being arrested by the Government Railway Police at Bina on a trivial issue and both had been remanded to police custody till July 24.

The Minister did not oblige the Congress member's repeated request to give details of the jewellery recovered as the minister claimed only a 'piece of silver' had been seized.

UNI