RAUTAHAT, Oct 5: After the successful and peaceful completion of the third phase of local elections, criminal activities are on the rise in Rautahat, it has been observed.

Despite numerous threats and obstacles, elections were held in a peaceful and systematic manner due to heightened security. But in recent days, the cases of crime have become rampant in the district. This has threatened the security of the locals. After the elections, as many as four cases of murder have been recorded in the district. Besides that, many election-related discussions have turned into heated disputes and serious conflicts. 

According to the locals, they observed a rise in criminal activities when the security personnel was busy during the victory celebrations of the triumphant political parties. On October 1, a feud between Hulas Ray Yadav and his neighbor Krishnanandan Chaudhary of ward no 5 of Narkatiya Tole resulted in the death of Yadav's three-year-old daughter Anjali. The two had reportedly quarreled for water. During the tussle, Yadav mistakenly hit his own daughter with a wooden log when he was trying to hit Chaudhary.

Similarly, Birendra Sah, 40, of Chandrapur Municipality-10, was murdered by an unidentified group in his sawmill at Maulapur ward no 5 on September 29. Likewise, twenty-five-year-old son of Maulana Serajuddin, one of the candidates for the post of ward chief of Paroha Municipality in the recently held elections was shot dead by an unidentified person on September 25. The perpetrators are still at large.

Furthermore, Rampukar Yadav, 45, of ward no 3 of Katahariya Municipality was killed during a clash between the supporters of two parties. They were having a discussion related to elections. 

Besides these, there are so many other violent activities which have gone unnoticed.
 By now, police have not been able to nab the culprits involved in any of the crimes, which has further increased the insecurity of the locals.  Failure of police to book the culprits has raised questions about the effectiveness of police force in solving crimes, says Bijay Kishwor Jha, secretary of Civil Society. The cases of theft and robbery are equally on the rise in the market places and shops of Garuda, Shivanagar among others. Recently, irked shopkeepers enforced strike after theft of millions of rupees from Ayushman Traders of Garuda.

Meanwhile, chief of the District Police Office SP Yagya Binod Pokharel claimed police have been investigating all of the cases and have also booked some culprits. He further informed that lack of co-operation from the locals has made it difficult for them to find out the criminals.

 
• criminal
 
• activities
 
• rampant
 
• rautahat