Punjab: Acquittal of accused in vital cases question police working

Many unsolved cases like Neha Ahlawat murder case, Sham Mall’s owner murder case and Sippy Sidhu murder case are putting a question the working of the police.

Recently, snatchers have played havoc in the city. Though the police arrested six persons on Wednesday, snatching cases were reported from the city.

 Major unsolved murder cases 

• Neha Ahlawat (21) who was an MBA student was found murdered in Sector 38 on July 30, 2010. After several efforts by the city police, the case is still a mystery. The family members of the deceased demanded transfer of the case to the
  CBI.
• Sippy Sidhu, a corporate lawyer and a national level shooter, was shot dead in a park in Sector 27 on September 20, 2015. Police failed to solve the case and it was transferred to the CBI. Presently, the CBI is investigation the case. Name of a former Punjab and Haryana High Court’s judge was also came under scanner.
• The murder case of the owner of Sham Mall-Amarjeet Singh (54) is yet a mystery for the police. Amarjeet was gunned down near his house on May 5,  2009. Later, the probe was transferred to the CBI, which also failed to trace the culprits and filed a closure report in the case last year.
•  The murder case of a State Bank of India officer’s wife Santosh Kumari (50) is still not solved. Santosh Kumari was found murdered at her government accommodation in SBI Colony, Sector 42 on August 4, 2009.
  Snatching, theft cases
•  Last year, 159 cases of snatching were registered in the city, while 52 were registered
  till June 10 this year. Last year, 984 cases of theft were registered in the city, while this year 478 cases were reported so far.
  Reasons for the failure of police
• Sources said nowadays the police have reduced its dependence on human intelligence and depend more on technical intelligence. The sources said the police are now more interested in intercepting phone calls and do not focus on the traditional methods of investigation.
  The sources also said that  the beat system is also not working which is a major reason of thefts and snatchings in the city.
  What the police say
• Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sukchain Singh Gill said they are focusing on human intelligence and trying to solve crime cases.