The Gujarat Assembly on Wednesday passed the Gujarat Gunda and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act which seeks to deal with anti-social elements in a stringent manner.
The government said it wants to make the State free of crime and protect innocent people from harassment.
The move appears an oblique acknowledgment of rise in crimes in a big setback to law and order in an otherwise ‘peaceful’ State.
Under the present dispensation, the State’s famed law and order has deteriorated in business hubs like Surat and Jamnagar where organised crimes like extortion, land grabbing and money lending have flourished without any check.
The diamond city Surat has witnessed several suicides in the last few months related to extortion and money lending. The latest victim was Durlabh Patel in Mandvi taluka of Surat.
Mr. Patel named some people including money lenders, police officials and others who reportedly drove him to the extreme step because he had refused to hand over a piece of land to the money lenders.
The recent instances of land mafia taking over entire schemes of builders, daylight murders of bootleggers and the rise of anti-social elements appear to have the blessings of the local police.
Following several such suicides in Surat, Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar has acted tough with cops saying no Inspector would initiate probe in land-related matters without approval from the top.
He restrained lower level officials from getting involved in such matters after the nexus among police, anti-social elements and local gangsters came to light in a few cases.
Similarly, the administration was forced to send Ahmedabad crime branch DCP Deepan Bhadran to Jamnagar as SP to deal with the rising cases of extortion in the industrially prosperous district.
Sitting abroad like Dawood Ibrahim, Jamnagar’s most dreaded mafia don Jayesh Patel with help and protection from some politicians is running an extortion syndicate targeting local builders, businessmen, realtors and industrialists, who are allegedly routinely forced to pay “protection money” to him and his aides while the police and the local administration helplessly watch everything as mute spectators.
According to local sources in Jamnagar, in just the last six months, ₹25 crore has been extorted by the gang from several top businessmen, land dealers and builders in the city.
Patel is a key accused in 40 FIRs related to extortion, ransom and property disputes in Jamnagar. In 2018, he reportedly fled to Dubai after his gang members allegedly murdered a local advocate Kirit Joshi.
“Crime is rising even in business hubs like Surat and Jamnagar. The government has no control over local gangsters who enjoy political protection from local leaders,” said leader of the Opposition Paresh Dhanani.
(Suicide prevention helpline Jeevan Ashtha in Gujarat can be contacted at 1800-233–3330)
