Policing has failed to meet expectations of citizens

On the eve of the Nashik Municipal Corporation elections in 2012, the city was described by the state election commission as the most sensitive in Maharashtra for holding polls, after Gadchiroli where Naxalites are active. Taking note of the law and order situation in the city, the government had transferred the then police commissioner Vinod Lokhande.
Two years later, while the Lok Sabha elections have been announced and the state assembly polls are due within six months, policing in the city has failed to meet the expectations of citizens, despite some novel ideas promoted by Lokhande's successor, Kulwant Kumar Sarangal.
The series of "all out" combing operations, helplines and intermittent flag-marches have failed to curb street crimes. Besides, there is a trend in police stations to discourage registering of FIRs and instead ask the victim to write the complaint on plain paper. This policy helps in reducing the figures on crime records, enabling the police force to claim that crimes have reduced.
Boisterous police officials quote statistics to claim that crimes have reduced as compared to previous year and the situation is better than other cities. However, women continue to be victims of bike-borne chain snatchers, who seem to be getting bolder and targeting even women accompanied by their family members. The police have not been able to strike at the root of the chain-snatching racket and find out the jewellers buying the booty.
Crimes against women are on the rise, with 'registered' cases of outraging modesty of a woman increasing from 35 in 2012 to 96 in 2013, to which the logic of convenience by the police is that awareness among women about their rights is increasing.
That, however, does not vindicate the attitude of police. For instance, a woman from Satpur committed suicide when police failed to act on her complaint against a man persecuting her. She was asked to write her complaint on a plain paper instead of registering an FIR. However, the paper was relegated to the labyrinth of police records. Following her suicide, the senior police inspector of Satpur police station was suspended, only to be reinstated a few months later in the control room and posted at the Upnagar police station.
Likewise, six months ago, a teenaged girl undergoing apprenticeship in a factory committed suicide after being harassed at her workplace. The police are yet to file a chargesheet in the case. In yet another case of a nine-year old girl being allegedly raped by a youth posing as a cable guy, the cops are clueless.
The city police have not been able to curb burglaries, which have increased 26% in the last two months. Besides, there have been instances of conmen posing as cops and duping women of their jewellery. No such imposter has been arrested, giving rise to suspicion that either there is a police-criminal nexus or some rogue cops have made it their part-time business.
Nashik has its share of such cops. For instance, two policemen have been sacked for killing a chain snatcher, Dattu Wagh. Investigations have revealed that the two cops had hatched a plot of robbery in connivance with Dattu, who told them that Rs 80 crore in cash was kept in a bungalow. The cops planned the robbery with the help of five men and paid Rs 50,000 to Dattu for identifying the house. However, when Dattu developed cold feet and backed out, he was stabbed to death.
Recently, there have been transfers, with new police officials taking charge. Their impact in crime management is expected in the election year.