Robust laws needed to fight gang culture in Punjab, Haryana

Baffling — that’s the word the Punjab and Haryana High Court has aptly used to sum up the absence of a legislative framework in Punjab and Haryana to curb gang-fuelled violence and intimidation. Both states have been given two months to frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) that can spell out the dos and don’ts for investigators in such cases. The systemic apathy is all the more glaring because it has already been three years since popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala fell to the bullets of hitmen hired by gangsters. Gang culture is not confined to any state or region or country, for that matter. It has spread its lethal tentacles far and wide. Lawrence Bishnoi, who has been behind bars for the past over a decade, and his aides have been keeping the police on their toes not only in India but also overseas. The impunity with which these gangsters operate underscores a brazen disregard for the law as well as law enforcers. The fallout is that public confidence in the police is getting eroded. The court has rightly observed that the state owes a duty to its citizens to ensure their safety. The state’s failure to perform this duty leaves people vulnerable to being targeted by gangsters. Murder, rape, assault, extortion — hardcore criminals will stop at nothing unless the police are empowered by a robust legislation. Punjab and Haryana need to take a cue from the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999. An anti-gangster task force and a special task force at the state and district levels can be beneficial, but in the long run, strict laws are needed to instil the fear of exemplary punishment in every gang leader or member. At the same time, it is crucial to firm up witness protection measures. Those who lodge complaints against gangsters should not be left to fend for themselves. Prioritising their safety will motivate others to come forward and help the authorities combat this scourge.

Editorials