Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna on Sunday clarified that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to examine allegations of irregularities in the Ram temple donation funds at the behest of the Temple Trust.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of the standing committee on Kashi Vishwanath Gyanvapi in Varanasi, the DGP stated, “All religious institutions have their own trusts and arrangements and systems to run them. Naturally, if any complaint comes to the police, it is investigated.”
“The Ram Temple Trust requested the formation of an SIT to probe the allegations. Taking note of this demand, the state government set up the SIT,” he added.
Regarding the extradition of Shubham Jaiswal, the alleged kingpin of a multi-crore codeine cough syrup smuggling syndicate believed to be hiding in Dubai, Krishna said that all necessary legal formalities have been completed under India’s mutual legal assistance agreements and treaties with several countries for criminal extradition.
“As extradition of a fugitive takes time, the process of declaring the deposits of the fugitive and his gang members as lien amounts has been completed to ensure that the money is not siphoned off and the victims do not suffer any loss,” he explained.
On measures to address traffic challenges in Varanasi, particularly after the opening of Kashi Vishwanath Dham in December 2021, the DGP said a scheme has been launched in 20 districts with technical support from Google.
“We have identified 230 corridors across the state, including 11 in Varanasi, that are most affected by traffic problems. We receive dynamic and automatic data from Google on a weekly, fortnightly, and monthly basis to determine average commuting times during peak and lean hours, enabling us to take necessary improvement measures,” he said.
“After two months of this exercise, the number of choke points decreased by about 24% across the state. Additionally, the maximum travel time between two destinations during peak hours reduced by 17%. Feedback from public representatives in Varanasi has also been positive,” he added.
The DGP asserted that the backbone of gangsters and mafia has been broken over the past 8-9 years, and they will not be allowed to raise their heads at any cost.
“We are compiling data on gangs down to the mohalla level to eliminate the menace. Cybercrime, which flourished with increasing digital monetary transactions, especially after the COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020 and 2021, has been taken as a primary challenge by the police,” said Krishna.
“Under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state police’s priority is to maintain zero tolerance towards crimes and criminals, ensure the safety of women and traders, reduce accidents, and take effective action against cybercrime,” he concluded.
