Kathmandu, December 17:

The special task force-led by the armed police personnel is working in eight Tarai districts to control the criminal activities.

A squad of 50 security personnel, 20 from armed police and 30 from civilian police have been mobilised in Saptari, Siraha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Parsa, Dhanusha, Rautahat and Bara for the past two weeks.

Even after the deployment of the police task force, more than 28 persons were abducted in nine terai districts in the last two weeks. An official at the National Human Rights Commission’s eastern regional office blamed the district administration and police for their failure to control crime.

Seven persons were also killed in the Tarai districts where more than 37 persons were kidnapped within the last month, while the local administration does not seem competent to rescue the abductees or book the guilty. Police officials claimed that more than 90 persons were arrested on the suspicion of their involvement in various criminal activities in the region.

Those abducted include forest officer Turantlal Purbe of Mahottari, forest guard Suman Jha of Saptari, VDC secretary Mahendra Chaudhari of Saptari and seven political activists, among others.

Less than 15 of the abducted persons were either released by abductor groups or rescued by police, while the whereabouts of the other abductees are still unknown.

DIG at the eastern regional police office, Rabindra Pratap Shah, claimed that the rate of crimes has been decreasing in recent days. He further said that special task force was arresting suspicious persons in Tarai. Shah said that police faced difficulties to bring the culprits to book in particular cases as the victims refused to furnish details about his/her abduction.

Lawmaker Sitadevi Yadav from Siraha said that the special task force was not enough to give security to the Tarai locals.

“Criminal cases are increasing day by day,” she said and hoped that the security situation in Tarai districts would return to normalcy soon. Yadav urged the local administration, police and political parties to join hands to check crime.

The recently amended bill by the interim parliament states: Holding a person hostage will incur imprisonment of seven to 17 years as well as fine ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,00,000. This aside, abduction or taking captive or keeping a person prisoner will result in imprisonment ranging from four to eight years and monetary fine ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1,00,000.

NHRC regional official Bhanubhakta Acharya said that even after mobilising the special task force, the security situation in the Tarai districts had not improved. Kidnappings, extortion and killings are mounting, Acharya told this daily, adding that lawlessness has motivated the crimes in the region. “Police is clueless as to incidents of crime,” he claimed. He said that 90 per cent cases of abductions were done for ransom.

SSP Shyam Bahadur Khadka at the Sagarmatha Zonal Police Office admitted that the police was unable to put the requisite quantum of effort to control the situation. He claimed that a number of arrests had been made over the past month in various districts.

Asked why the police was unable to either trace the abductees or arrest the culprits, SSP Khadka said that the police was trying its best. “The open border and lack of police posts in some villages are the main problems,” Khadka said.

The rapid emergence of unknown armed groups has also been affecting policing in the Tarai. According to Khadka, cases of abductions have increased in comparison with cases of robberies in the region.

While 10 persons were arrested by cadres of JTMM (J), its chief Jwala Singh threatened to take action against those persons abducting Madhesi people in the name of unknown groups.

Singh on Friday issued a press release saying that he had directed his party’s rank and file to take stern action against anyone for doing so.

Tarai violence: List of those who were kidnapped

Samir Mathema, Prahlad Pokharel, Birendra Singh Danuwar, Ram Avtar Yadav, Shankar BC, Santosh Shah, Rameshwor Mandal, Yogendra Shah, Vinay Mahato, Bindeshwor Mandal, Ramchandra Shah, Raj Kumar Mahato, Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, Bidhya Sagar Tamang and Dhanraj Pal Gaderi (Siraha), Chhedilal Pundit, Chandreshwor Shah, Mahendra Chaudhary and Suman Jha (Saptari), Mahabir Shah, his wife and father-in-law, Turuntlal Purbe, Arvind Yadav, Sunil Yadav and Radhe Mahato, Ramashis Mahato, Ram ekwal Shah (Mahottari), Binod Khetan, Bhagwan Das Raut and Prasad Raut Kurmi (Parsa), Upendra Kushwaha, Upendra Chaudhary (Bara), Ishwordutt Pandey (Rupandehi), Kamal Bahadur katwal (Sunsari), Kalawati Ahir (Banke) and Madhav Belbase (Kapilvastu).

Groups- No of kidnappings

JTMM (J)- 10

S-JTMM- 3

JTMM (Goit)- 2

Unknown groups- 22