Mafia menace: Who will bell the cat in badlands of Uttar Pradesh?

LUCKNOW: Forty-one years have passed since the sensational killings of 21 Rajputs at the hand of bandit queen Phoolan Devi gang at Behmai village in Kanpur Dehat. Of the total 39 accused, 35, including Phoolan, have died, while four of them are struggling to survive. But, the case is still at the trial stage and the accused are yet to be convicted.
The inexplicable delay in the conviction of the Phoolan gang for the mindless killings conclusively highlights the pathetic state of the criminal justice system in the state.
Over 200 mafia dons and dreaded criminals have found their names in the history-sheets in 30 years, but barring a few nobody has been convicted. Most of them have either turned 'mananiya' (honourable members of august House) in Lucknow or in Delhi, or are still running their parallel underworld empires. In most cases police have not been able to ensure their conviction and throw them behind the bars.
Former director general of police, Brij Lal, remarks: “Like land mafia, mining mafia, coal mafia and jungle mafia, there exists a kanoon (law) mafia which ensures denial of justice to the society and system.”
Vidhan Sabha records reveal that in 1985, hardly 35 MLAs were facing criminal cases. But by 2017, their number rose many a time, reaching to over 148. “The day is not far when MLAs with criminal cases would have their own majority of 203 and they would form their own government in the state. These MLAs have clearly declared in their affidavits the number of crime cases in which they are involved," says a political observer.
About 27 years back in 1993, the NN Vohra committee had observed that ”with the rising number of mafia dons and their presence in the Houses, the state is losing its relevance.”
Talking to TOI, former DGP Prakash Singh, a Padma Shri recipient, who was first to launch a crusade against the organised crime during the Kalyan Singh government in 1991-92, blamed the SP and the BSP governments for the jungle raj and patronising criminals by giving them party tickets to contest elections.
“Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is genuinely fighting against mafia dons. But unfortunately a former DGP proved a stumbling block for the time being. Now, things have changed. Police should use this opportunity to liquidate criminals. I don’t know whether any chief minister in future would honestly work against the organised crime,” he added.
Citing an instance to establish that mafia dons used to enjoy full political patronage in the state, sources said that in early 2000's the high court had ordered then principal secretary GB Patnaik to submit a report on the flourishing organised crime in the state. In the report that was submitted, Patnaik had clearly stated that the “organised mafia controls movable and immovable property to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore in the state and politician-criminal nexus has to be demolished to end this menace.”
The then CM, however, got furious against Patnaik and set up a committee under chairmanship of a minister for an inquiry against him. That report was never pursued by any government in the state, Patnaik said, lauding the Yogi government for taking genuine steps to end the politician-criminal nexus.