The shocking news that a young IPS officer, Narendra Kumar, was crushed to death by the mining mafia in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, shows the clout it enjoys. Unless the mafia was sure of getting away, it would not have struck in such a brazen manner. Thanks to our politicians, criminals are no longer scared of police officers. A similar fate befell a revenue inspector who tried to intercept a lorry carrying illegally mined sand in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, a few years ago. We feel sorry for Narendra Kumar's wife, an IAS officer who is on maternity leave. In just a few seconds, the dreams and aspirations of a small family were reduced to a heap of glass splinters!
R. Krishnamurthy,
Coimbatore
Such a crime can no longer be viewed as an isolated incident. The malaise is deep rooted and requires effective remedial steps. Often, honest officers become victims of local mafias which enjoy political patronage. Violence against honest officials will come down only when the executive is honest and dedicated.
M.A. Hakeem,
Hyderabad
How can we expect upright officials to discharge their duties fearlessly when incidents like the killing of Narendra Kumar take place? Only a year ago, Additional District Collector of Malegaon Yeshwant Sonawane was burnt to death by the fuel adulteration mafia when he went on a raid. It is obvious that such high-profile killings cannot take place without the backing of people at the helm of affairs.
A. Michael Dhanaraj,
Coimbatore
