Now, criminals to sign bonds for good conduct

The Times of India reports : 

PATNA: Bihar Police have adopted a novel method to check crime in the state. Habitual offenders are being made to sign bonds under Section 110(G) of the CrPC and deposit 25% of the bond amount in court, DGP Abhayanand said. Section 110 (G) of the CrPC is an old law. But it has not been seriously implemented in several police stations in the state.

Now the police officials have been given directive to use the section against all the habitual offenders who indulged in unlawful and criminal acts, he told TOI. Patna SSP Alok Kumar said the section was implemented in each police station in the district. About 700 criminals have so far been brought under this section and they have been forced to sign the bonds as well, he said, adding that he was personally monitoring each case under this section. According to Khagaul police station SHO Kamod Prasad, the police have indentified 50 odd hardcore criminals in the area during the drive launched in the past two weeks.

They have to furnish bonds of Rs 1 lakh under this section in the SDM court with two sureties of the same amount. They have also to deposit 25% of the bond amount in the court, he said. Notorious criminals like Benga Gope, Sunil Yadav and Ritlal Yadav have been asked to sign such bonds. Out of the 50 odd criminals identified under this section, 19 of them have already signed the bond and deposited Rs 25,000 each in the SDM court at Danapur as surety to maintain good conduct, the SHO said.

The Khagaul SHO admitted that the area was disturbed in the past due to incidents of murder, snatching, loot, dacoity and theft. Besides, the habitual offenders on bails were giving a tough time to police. Use of this particular section has helped police in checking crime, he said, adding that a proposal has been sent to senior police officials to use this section against land grabbers and economic offenders too.

Citing an example of the effectiveness of using the section, he said the police forced Neeraj Kumar, a habitual criminal of Khagaul area involved in over a dozen criminal cases, to sign the bond and deposit Rs 25,000 in the SDM court at Danapur. He has been maintaining good conduct since signing the bond, the SHO said.