AHMEDABAD: After rumours about 'child lifters' cost a woman beggar her life in the
Vadaj area of the city on Tuesday, city police have swung into action to prevent such incidents. The police commissioner has asked police stations to approach beggars in their jurisdiction and ask them to alert police in case of incidents where crowds begin suspecting beggars of crimes.
Cops across the city have been asked, through an internal communication, to discourage begging by children and others at traffic signals.
A senior police official said beggars and the destitute are the most vulnerable sections of society and cops will go to them and tell them to approach police immediately if they sense such incidents are about to unfold. They can contract the nearest police station or any cop, in case of a situation like one in
Vadaj on Tuesday.
"All must take the current rumourmongering about child lifting gangs seriously and ensure that a Vadaj-like incident is not repeated. An FIR should be registered against anybody found to be propagating false information," reads the message from city police commissioner A K Singh to all cops at the level of ACP and police inspectors.
"In every police station (area), there are temples or places where beggars and urban poor collect for alms and food. We should send cops to such places to caution such people about the situation. Vulnerable areas, particularly slum areas, should be visited to spread awareness among people," the message adds.
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