Hubballi-Dharwad police to obtain surety bonds from rowdies

HUBBALLI: In an attempt to reign in habitual offenders and rowdy-sheeters, Hubballi-Dharwad police have decided to obtain surety bonds from offenders that they will abide by the law. The cops can opt for the forfeiture of the bond amount if the offender gets implicated in any new criminal case.
While the provision for taking a surety has been in the code of criminal procedure all along, increasing menace of rowdy-sheeters has compelled cops to enforce this provision more strictly. Police have come up with the idea of collecting bonds from rowdies after looking at the incidents of gang war, assault and other crimes.
Ahead of local body elections, and festivals round the corner, police have stepped up measures to curb rowdy elements in twin cities. Nearly more than 700 active rowdies are said to have furnished the surety bond with a face value of Rs 1 lakh or more than that, and the process is still on.
K Ramrajan, deputy commissioner of police, law and order, said that there is a provision to legally bind over active rowdies and miscreants who create nuisance as a preventive measures. “In view of the increasing incidents of assault for gains, stabbing and also murder incidents in Hubballi-Dharwad, we had a discussion with the commissioner of police Labhuram, legal experts and others and decided to bind over the rowdies and trouble-makers. As of now more than 1,150 people have been bound over of whom more than 700 are active rowdies and rest are indulged in arguments and clashes repeatedly with their neighbours and others over several issues, mainly property disputes. Once a person is bound over, it will be easy to initiate further action including externment or to book under the Goonda Act if the person continues unlawful activities,” he added.
The number of bound-over rowdies is more in Keshwapur and Ashok Nagar police station limits.
Welcoming the move, social activist Ramesh S said that strict implementation of these measures will help curb crime in the twin cities.