BIRATNAGAR, Jan 20: Criminal activities have once again seen sudden spikes in the mid-eastern Tarai districts of late with the prolonged ongoing protests by Madhesi parties against the country's new constitution. This has put challenges before the law enforcement bodies.
Due to sudden rise of crimes including murder, abduction and bomb blast in broad daylight, locals from the Terai districts, where agitating parties centered their demonstrations, are now terrified.
Around four years back, underground armed groups resorted to arms citing the reason for the rights of Madhesi communities. So far, leaders of all underground armed groups except Jaykrishna Goit, coordinator of Akhil Tarai Jantantrik Morcha and Nagendra Paswan aka Jwala Singh, coordinator of Jantantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha were brought to book for their crimes through special operation by the Home Ministry.
Although Goit and Jwala groups are still in function, their influence has waned significantly over the past few years, security officials claimed. In the last two months, six persons were killed in Saptari, Mahottari and Sarlahi: one in Saptari, three in Sarlahi, and two in Mahottari.
In Saptari, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ramesh Subba was shot dead by an armed group in Saptari district on January 4. In Sarlahi, Mukesh Kumar and Kapil Kumar Ray Kurmi of Sitamadhi, India were attacked with sharp weapons and shot at in Gauri Shankar on December 12. And district level CPN-UML party leader Ramnaresh Raya Yadav, 60, was hacked to death on December 29.
Likewise, Chiranjibi Mahaseth, eight-year-old son of Rabindra Mahaseth, was strangled to death following his abduction in Mahottari on January 10. Last Monday, body of 11-years-old Nishchal Pandey was discovered. He was abducted from the Jaleshwar bus park, Mahottari.
In addition to these, on Saturday, an unidentified group exploded a bomb at the residence of Upendra Prasad Sah in Kanchanpur of Saptari district. Sah is an Assistant Health Workers (AHW) at Ghoghanpur health post.
Mid-regional Police Office Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Devendra Subedi conceded that there has been a increase in criminal activities in the recent weeks while claiming that police had been rigorously investigating the cases and remained committed to bring the culprits to justice. He informed that many of those involved in the crimes above have been arrested.
Subedi ruled out involvement of professional criminals in the cases so far, while stating that crime can flourish in the region if the present political deadlock extends. “Madhes may once again become fertile land for crimes if the current status quo in the region prevails,” he said adding that the police have been on high alert to quell crimes in the region.
(With inputs from Republica correspondents Mahesh Das in Mahottari and Santosh Singh in Sarlahi)
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