Contract killings need to be tackled by all: SC

new delhi: describing the underworld operators as "merchants of death and destruction", the supreme court has said the underworld gangs were required to be dealt with by all concerned, including the judiciary, the executive and the politicians. dealing with a contract killing case, a bench comprising justice k t thomas and justice r p sethi said: ``such crimes have not only a legal facet but a social and economic aspect, which is required to be felt and dealt with by all concerned, including the judiciary, the executive, the politicians, the social reformers, intelligentsia and the law enforcing agencies.'' the bench noted that the eruption of organised crime in india was of recent origin and was at the initial stage.therefore, it was necessary to control such criminal activities which tempt the persons involved to amass huge profits. ``a feeling is prevalent in the city (mumbai) that it is not the state alone which can protect life and property of the rich and the influential, but it is the criminals who render protection to such people for the consideration of `protection money' received by them.'' on the appeals in a case of mercenary killing by hired goons at the behest of criminal dons operating from abroad, the court said: ``a woeful situation prevailed in the society where writs of criminal gangs run, affecting the peaceful and innocent citizens of the country. ``contract killings by employing mercenary killers, after receipt of consideration known as `supari', are the order of the day, particularly in commercial cities of the country,'' the bench added. mumbai was at the top of the list of such commercial cities where these crimes were committed every now and then, it noted. ``piling of the cases in the courts of law ...particularly with respect to disputes relating to property, is reported to have created centres of unusual trade, where private courts are held by the gangsters and disputes are solved according to the will of those who can pay as per demands of the criminal dons,'' the apex court lamented.