Frequent crimes — be it petty or grave — along the 27.2 kilometre stretch of the Ring Road has necessitated the police to be more visible and intensify patrolling.
According to data available with the Madurai Rural Police, apart from road accidents on the Ring Road, cases of waylaying offences and robbery are also on the rise.
Eighteen construction workers lost their lives when the vehicle they were travelling in collided with a private bus last year. In July the same year, a car was waylaid past midnight and after leaving the passengers on the middle of the road, the robbers, impersonating as police, fled in the car to an undisclosed destination. Apart from this, incidents of chain snatching and waylaying two-wheeler riders and lorry drivers also are reported at regular intervals, police said.
Recently, the Madurai Rural police did catch a gang of robbers who were not only involved in crimes, but also allegedly posed themselves as police by donning khaki uniforms. Stolen properties valued at Rs. 9.22 lakh were recovered from them.
Superintendent of Police M. Manohar told The Hindu that patrolling had been stepped up. On National Highways, the police are registering cases against erring drivers who drove their vehicles on the wrong side leading to accidents. “Though swift action by the police had brought the number of accidents down, it is important that road users realised need for self-discipline,” he said.
Regarding waylaying crimes on Ring Road, Mr. Manohar said that the police had solved a majority of grave offences and arrested the accused. The idea to cover the entire Ring Road under one police jurisdiction may be considered. The road falls under more than one police station in the Madurai Rural Police district.
Recently, when a family travelling in a car was waylaid, the victims had no clue as to which police station they had to lodge complaint. They risked their lives and reached a police station after getting into a goods vehicle in the midnight. A policeman of a patrol team was suspended after he allegedly failed to direct the victims, who had approached him, seeking guidance, Mr. Manohar said.
