In the latest episode of looting in the Valley, Rs 2.1 crore in cash was taken away from the Bank of Kathmandu (BoK) branch in Kamaladi, Kathmandu, on Nov. 25. Preliminary investigations indicate that two BoK security guards were also involved, among others. Organised robberies in the Valley have gone up particularly because of the increased

involvement of semi-professional criminal gangs. This, despite the institution of the Metropolitan Police Range last year to check the crime rate.

Not long ago, eight-year-old Dhiraj Adhikari of Sainbu was murdered in cold blood because of

inter-family feud. There have been similar cases of abductions and murders in the Valley with unscrupulous elements trying to extract ransoms from moneyed parents.

It cannot be denied that deteriorating law and order situation in the country has led to an unexpected increase in the number of money-related crimes. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s Office, in this regard, is being pushed to its limits. But the lack of professionalism and inefficiency in the police force has meant that the criminal elements enjoy a considerable level of impunity. The largely corrupt police machinery is, in many ways, to be blamed for the failure to crack down on crime effectively. There thus needs to be a concerted effort to weed out the existing weaknesses from the police force. At the same time, the complaint that inadequate resources and manpower has affected the performance of the police force should also be examined.