Crime

From busting drug rackets, the Bhandup police have now turned its attention to catching hardened criminals or anyone in possession of illegal weapons. In the very first drive, the cops arrested a 16-year-old history-sheeter with a dagger, along with another man who had a sword. These arrests are the result of rigorous foot patrolling and activation of all four beat chowkies in Bhandup.

The Bhandup police are cracking down on notorious criminals and residents in possession of illegal weapons in light of a string of murders — eight killings over seven months, as well as 10 cases of attempt to murder. According to the law, citizens need permission for possession of any sharp weapons longer than 9 inches.

Cops go all out

On Saturday, the police arrested a 16-year-old. "He had been arrested earlier for assault. This time, he was found with a dagger. A 29-year-old, Santosh Yadav, was also arrested from Hanuman Nagar after we found a sword at his home," said an officer from Bhandup police. As part of the five-point crime-fighting plan, which mid-day had reported on earlier, the top brass have also activated all four beat chowkies in the jurisdiction — Village Road, Pratap Nagar, Tembhi Pada and Khindi Pada. "Chowkies have been an integral part of policing for years. The very first thing we did was to activate all the chowkies in Bhandup," said a senior officer.