We promise to be on our best behaviour: Criminals tell Mumbai Police

The drive is against body, property and habitual offenders against whom multiple cases, including murder and attempt to murder, are registered. Representation pic

After orders from Commissioner Param Bir Singh, the Mumbai police have begun a drive against habitual offenders and people suspected to breach the peace. They have begun chapter proceedings taking a bond of good behaviour from criminals across the city. The Mumbai police have so far taken 1,000 bonds of good behaviour - a promise of not indulging in crime for a given period - from criminals who have multiple cases against them and habitual offenders.

Param Bir Singh, commissioner of police, Mumbai and Vishwas Nangre Patil, joint commissioner (law and order)

"We believe that precaution is better than cure and the law empowers the police to take bonds from criminals. Any violation of such bonds can lead to heavy penalty and the person can be sent to jail as well. So far in today's scenario, we have found them to be a very effective tool to prevent crime," said Commissioner Singh.

System upgrade

Apart from taking the bond, the Mumbai police have also upgraded the Mumbai Police Information System (MPIS) where now they have another app called CIB (Crime Investigation Bureau), which helps to centralise the database of criminals against whom chapter cases are initiated. "The massive drive has already begun as per orders from the Commissioner of Police against the body, property and habitual offenders who have multiple cases including murder and attempt to murder registered against them. This is a preventive step where police can take a bond from criminals under sections of CrPC depending on the person's financial capability. If he violates the bond he will be asked to pay a penalty or he can be put behind the bars. The ACP can also issue a notice if he is of the opinion that a particular person can create a nuisance and disrupt the peace in society," said Vishwas Nangre Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order). The penalties can go up to a few lakhs of rupees.

"The centralisation of the data will help every police station get details of every criminal immediately. Also, if a habitual offender against whom the chapter proceeding initiated by the ACP violates the bond, we will come to know about it. So far 10 people have been found violating the good behaviour bond and action has been taken against them," Patil added.

Signing the bond

Show cause notices are issued under section 111 of the CrPC where the particular person is asked why he should not be asked to sign a good behaviour bond and he is also asked to present himself before an executive magistrate - an ACP rank officer.

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The Mumbai police have taken more than 1,000 such bonds from the habitual offenders involved in multiple body, property and serious offences. Around 750 bonds taken under Section 107 (Security for keeping the peace in other cases.) 250 bonds were taken under Section110 (Security for good behaviour from habitual offenders) 80 bonds were taken under Section 109 (Security for good behaviour from suspected persons) and around 12 bonds were taken under Section 108 of the CrPC.

According to Mumbai Police, the drive was started keeping in mind that a number of criminals involved in petty crimes were released from prison due to the pandemic, but most of them have committed crimes during the lockdown or unlock.

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