An alarming number of individuals seeking to contest the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections have criminal cases registered against them, according to a recent analysis conducted by the Pune city police. The scrutiny of applications for mandatory police character certificates has thrown up concerning data about the backgrounds of political aspirants.
Shocking Numbers from Police Scrutiny
The police department received a total of 2,650 applications from people aspiring to contest the civic polls. A detailed examination of these applications revealed that a staggering 1,560 applicants had criminal cases registered against their names. This means nearly 59% of the individuals who initially applied for police clearance had some form of police record.
Out of these 1,560 candidates with criminal backgrounds, the police have identified a subset of 60 individuals who face serious criminal charges. These include grave offences such as bodily harm, cheating, and ransom-related crimes. The remaining individuals largely have cases related to political agitations, unlawful assembly, or protests concerning civic issues like water supply, roads, and potholes.
Police Heighten Vigilance on Serious Offenders
In response to these findings, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has directed the Special Branch and the Crime Branch to maintain a close watch on the activities of the 20 most serious offenders. The police chief has instructed his teams to monitor how these individuals are campaigning, whether they are pressuring voters, their movements across the city, and to verify their bail conditions.
Joint Police Commissioner Ranjankumar Sharma and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Sandeep Bhajibhakare were among the senior officers who studied this critical data. DCP Bhajibhakare clarified the nature of the cases, stating, "Out of the 1,560, only 60 were booked for serious cases. Among these 60, about 20 people have cases like cheating, ransom, bodily offences, and other serious crimes."
Election Process and Transparency
It is important to note that these 2,650 applicants are those who sought character certificates, a mandatory requirement for filing nomination papers. However, many may have opted out before the withdrawal deadline. Currently, 1,165 candidates remain in the fray for the PMC elections.
The data collected from the police clearance certificates and related crime records must be declared by the candidates in the affidavits they submit to the returning officers. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has assured that strong action will be taken against any candidate who takes the law into their own hands during the campaign period, with police teams actively monitoring their activities.
This analysis underscores the ongoing challenge of criminal elements in Indian electoral politics and highlights the proactive steps being taken by the Pune police to ensure a fair and lawful election process for the city's civic body.
