Fast-tracking of cases has helped the courts deliver judgement in 126 cases in the last couple of years and the convicts in some cases have been awarded life imprisonment, says DGP K.V. Rajendranath Reddy.
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On June 13, Yedla Fransica (35), a receptionist at a private dental clinic suffered an acid attack by three persons at Eluru. She died while undergoing treatment at a hospital on June 21.
The police arrested the three accused— Boda Naga Satish, Behara Mohanam and A. Usha Kiran— who were awarded life imprisonment after the case was fast-tracked. The investigation, preparation of chargesheet and trial were completed in a short time and the court verdict was delivered in less than four months.
“This is what we want to showcase. All grievous crime cases will be fast-tracked so that the trial by the court and judgment will be completed in a few months. This will act as a deterrence for all criminals,” Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) K.V. Rajendranath Reddy told The Hindu.
The focus is on strengthening the criminal justice system as a part of which the police officers are being trained in how to gather scientific evidence from crime scenes and other corroborative evidence to make the cases water-tight with the help of public prosecutors. “We will leave no gap in chargesheets so that the courts deliver judgments in a short time,” he said.
The fast-tracking of cases has helped the courts deliver judgement in 126 cases in the last couple of years and the convicts in some cases have been awarded life imnprisonment, said Mr. Rajendranath Reddy.
Referring to the alleged kidnap and assault of the son and wife of Visakhapatnam MP M.V.V. Satyanarayana, the DGP said the charge sheet was ready and the trial date was awaited.
“We have all the details in the case and the chargesheet is ready with all evidence. We are sure the main accused will be awarded stringent punishment. At the same time, we are also fast-tracking his other cases that are pending in various courts. He is allegedly involved in more than 50 criminal cases,” said the DGP.
‘Maoism on the wane’
Speaking about the influence of the banned CPI (Maoist) in the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) region, the DGP said that there was minimal presence on the Andhra Pradesh side of the AOB.
“After a series of encounters in which key leaders were killed, many arrests were made and the top leaders surrendered in the last couple of years, the presence of Maoists has gone down drastically. There are no top leaders present here at this moment as all have moved to safer places in Chhattisgarh. However, we have to continue to strengthen our vigil and combing operations so that they cannot attempt to make inroads again,” he said.
According to him, there is some presence of the Maoists on the other side of the border such as Koraput, Malkangiri, South Sukma, Kunta, Kothagudem and Yetapaka, and they are waiting for an opportunity to move in.
The Maoists are planning to attack security forces to gain back confidence among the tribals. However, the tribals have been disillusioned by the Maoist ideology and are refusing to help them. The State government’s welfare schemes especially the RoFR (Records of Forest Rights) have been a game-changer,” said Mr. Rajendranath Reddy.
Ganja cultivation
According to the DGP, ganja cultivation has been hit on the Andhra side of the AOB. From about 7,500 acres of cultivation in 2020, the cropping area has dropped to about 50 acres to 60 acres at present, as per the satellite imagery.
“People whose ganja crops were destroyed have not gone back to cultivation. They are happy with the alternative crops. They are also aware that if they go back to cultivation then from 2024, the farmers or the cultivators will be booked under the relevant sections of NDPS Act. However, ganja cultivation is still high on the Odisha side near Malkangiri and Koraput,” he said.