EVER since the formation of the Raghubar Das government in Jharkhand, the law and order situation has been deteriorating day-by-day and people are being forced to live under constant fear. To make matters worse, instead of taking actions against the criminals, policemen are unleashing their fury on the innocent masses in the name of maintaining law and order. Reports of deaths in police custody, murder of truck drivers on highways in the course of illicit collection by police authorities, detention of minor girls in police custody in the absence of women police personnel and consequent harassment, framing of false murder charges against innocent youths and demanding bribes from their families, and arrest of innocent minor boys under the charges of being Naxals and consequent death due to police atrocities have all hit the headlines of local and national media in recent times. While, incidents of dacoity, murder, loot and kidnapping have seen an unprecedented rise over the last few months. Ironically, as per police records, there has been a fall in number of criminal incidents with 21,938 incidents being recorded in the period from January to May, 2016 as compared to 24,152 in the corresponding months of 2015. But actual figures do not support the claims of the police authorities. Over the last six months, 786 incidents of murder, 78 of dacoity, 251 of loot and 2,748 cases of violence against women have been reported in the state. These numbers are enough to prove the callousness of police. In Ranchi alone, 3,805 criminal cases, including 90 cases of murder, have been recorded in the same period. All these incidents do not support the claims of the Chief Minister that the state is making fast progress and maintaining peace and harmony is the primary goal of the government. On the contrary, they are the result of the inability of the political leaders who are using police forces primarily against the political opposition and patronising corruption in police forces for political gains. It is estimated that in Dhanbad district, police forces illegally collect Rs 3 crore a month from truck drivers on GT Road. The lion’s share of this collection reaches the leaders of the ruling party. Recently, a truck driver was shot dead by police authorities in the course of disputes arising out of the illegal collections. When the incident was highlighted by the media and the opposition, senior officers put pressure on an inspector from the tribal community, who was made the scapegoat and the latter ultimately committed suicide. The former DGP of the state and the BJP MP from Palamau too voiced concern over the poor law and order situation in the state. In Bundu, a sub-division located about 40 kms from Ranchi, police arrested a 17-year-old boy, Rupesh Swansi, claiming he was a Naxalite. He was brutally assaulted at the DSP’s office which proved fatal. Another minor boy, Nitesh Raj, was severely beaten up in custody and is at present undergoing treatment. Police claimed that these boys are supplying arms to Naxalites, though there is no evidence to prove the same. The people of Bundu, led by CPI(M) and other Left parties, staged a roadblock on NH-33 that runs through Bundu demanding justice for Rupesh. CPI(M) state secretariat member Rajendra Singh Munda and party leaders Sufal Mahto, Sukhnath Lohra, Rangowati Devi and Birendra Kumar led the protest. The leaders also met the family members of the victim and assured them of support and cooperation. Earlier the Left parties held a demonstration outside the Police Commissioner’s office in Ranchi over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.