Unholy nexus

With the passing of time, the name of the 'Kanpur-wala' criminal Vikash Dubey and the way he met his death will disappear from public memory. But what will probably continue in this country is the unholy nexus of criminals, a section of politicians and a section of the police. There can be no debate or dismissal of the fact that Vikash Dubey had a strong nexus with some police personnel as well as certain sections of politicians. One actor has quipped that the last episode of the Vikash Dubey drama was a kind of typical Bollywood script, with the criminal being bumped off for the benefit of many others who would have been exposed had the 'Kanpur-wala' remained alive to tell his story in a court or to an investigating agency. Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai are notorious for such criminal-politician-police nexus. In UP in particular, there are many examples of such inter-mix, especially between criminals and politicians. Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party had once fielded 'bandit queen' Phoolan Devi in the elections. Chandra Shekhar, even after becoming Prime Minister, allegedly had good relations with a dreaded coal mafia called Suraj Bhan Singh. In Mumbai, the name of a senior IAS officer serving as Additional Chief Secretary in the state government was also dragged into the Sheena Bora murder case. There are several instances of such alleged link between politicians, criminals and police in Assam too. The loot of development funds in Dima Hasao district would not have been possible without the blessings and involvement of powerful politicians, police officers and civil officers. One former Assam DGP's name was entangled in an alleged case of land-grabbing, while another former Assam DGP shot himself after his name found mention in a major chit fund scam. Both were instances of their alleged proximity with criminal elements. The Assam Police Accountability Commission's reports are replete with clear mention of the involvement of police officers in cases of land-grabbing in the heart of Guwahati. Rule of law is the cornerstone of a democratic country. It is the cement of the Indian society to make it function in an ideal manner. The nexus between politicians, police and criminals has become the greatest threat to the rule of law of our country.