Patna: It's worse than a Harry Potter 'howler' - voice letters that rebuke offenders publicly and self destruct. Police in Bihar have hit upon a novel idea to smoke out criminals evading arrest by sending out marching bands playing the folk instrument 'dugdugi' and publicly shaming the offender.
The rural justice system is an instant hit among residents as the drummers go about the city lanes, calling out the names of the proclaimed offenders. The 'dugdugi' players exhort the offenders to surrender and warn them that their immovable property will be auctioned if they fail to turn up on court dates.
According to local news reports, police have apparently shamed nearly a hundred offenders to surrender. Once a person is declared a proclaimed offender, his or her property is attached.
The 'dugdugi' drive which has kick started in Patna district will be replicated in other districts as neighbours and family members help catch fugitives.
The police authorities have hired local people to sound 'dugdugi' in the entire district apparently in a bid to ask people to cooperate with the police in tracing absconding criminals, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Alok Kumar told reporters.
The use of dugdugi has helped the police in arresting 96 fugitive criminals and eight others have surrendered before the course since the novel method of catching the criminals got underway, the police official said.
Justifying the use of dugdugi, Kumar said it was obviously to solicit help of the people in nabbing those criminals who have taken refuse elsewhere after committing crime or have taken to other profession to hide their identity.
The people were also cooperating with the police and giving information about the criminals from their locality and even far off areas, he said, adding that the remaining criminals evading the long arms of the law will be caught soon. (With additional information from IANS)
Comments
0 comment