VOLUME I ISSUE 3 JULY 2008 K OLKATA P OLICE We care for you. NEWS IN THIS ISSUE Unit of the Month G News G Events G Achievements G Community Policing G Crime News G Important Helplines and Website From the Desk of the Editor WEEK-LONG CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUGS THE WELL-TIMED ARRIVAL OF THE MONSOONS IN KOLKATA BROUGHT MUCH- needed relief from the heat for Kolkatans. However, the Traffic Department of Kolkata Police felt the heat of slow-moving traffic during the rains and had to work almost round-the-clock to get vehicles moving faster. The two new Traffic Guards at Tollygunge and Beliaghata (EM Bypass) opened by Dr Asim Kumar Dasgupta, Hon’ble Minister-in-charge, Finance and Excise Department, Govern- ment of West Bengal on 2 June will certainly help the Traffic Department pro- vide better services on Kolkata’s roads (photograph on back page). The rains added excitement to the inter-unit Rugby tournament where rugged Traffic Department players scrummed with the Armed Police team on the rain- A WEEK-LONG ANTI-NARCOTIC AND DRUGS soaked grounds of Bodyguard Lines to win the tournament. PROGRAMME WAS UNDERTAKEN BY DD The week-long anti-drug programme organized by the Detective Department KOLKATA POLICE. IT ENDED ON 26 JUNE, with help of NGOs ended on 26 June, the International Day against Drug Abuse INTERNATIONAL ANTI-DRUGS DAY, AT and Illicit Trafficking. The week saw inter-school debates, essay and poster com- RABINDRA SADAN. petitions, and awareness campaigns on bicycles, at kiosks and detoxification An awareness campaign on bicycles was inau- camps to increase awareness among students and the public against the abuse gurated by Addl. CP (I), Mr S N Sarkar, at Lal- of drugs and its illicit trafficking. bazar on 18 June. Six cyclists carried anti-drug The Commandos (SF) of Kolkata Police brought glory to the department by messages throughout the city, specially in af- being selected as the ‘best team’ among the teams of various Central and State fected areas. police organizations. Congratulations, commandos for the honour. Forty kiosks with loudspeakers, leaflets, and The Kolkata Police Kabbadi team added to the celebrations by winning the materials for public interaction were set up inter-district kabbadi tournament. throughout Kolkata. Police officers, social work- In another people-friendly gesture, Kolkata Police tied up with Dignity Founda- ers, school children and NGOs participated in tion, an NGO, to launch a special security programme for the senior citizens of this massive campaign. Kolkata. Interschool debates were organized on the We once again invite our readers to send their valuable suggestions for the im- theme, ‘Society is responsible for problem of provement of this publication. Turn to back page EDITORIAL BOARD Chairman: K Hari Rajan: Additional Commissioner of Police (IV), Kolkata Editor: Sudhir Misra, Spl. Addl. Commissioner of Police and Jt Commissioner of Police (O) Member: Javed Shamim: Deputy Commissioner of Police (1), Detective Department Member: Manab Bandyopadhyay, Public Relations Officer, Kolkata Police K OLKATA N The office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, North Division UNIT OF THE MONTH: North & The Calcutta Police Museum building The most important part of policing at North Suburban Division Sonagachi is to prevent (a) trafficking of women and (b) under age-girls into prosti- IT WAS UNDER THE ORDERS OF THE tant Commissioners heading the 3 Sub- tution. The local police works closely with GOVERNMENT OF BENGAL NO. 2757 Divisions of North Division. The police the Detective Department to fight this DATED 2 MAY 1872 THAT THE CITY OF stations are headed by Officers-in- menace. The job of the police is to rescue Charge. The eight police stations of CALCUTTA WAS DIVIDED INTO 3 PO- victims and arrest agents. Raids are some- LICE DIVISIONS EACH UNDER THE North Division are Shyampukur, Joraba- times conducted beyond the boundaries CHARGE OF A SUPERINTENDENT OF gan, Burtolla, Amherst Street, Cossipore, of the city and state. POLICE. Sinthi, Chitpore and Talla. The local police extends a helping hand The North Division was one of these Cossipore Udayanbati at 90, Cossipore to the different NGOs like Durbar Mahila three newly-created Police Divisions. The Road, Kolkata 700002 is a famous pil- Samity, Sankalpa, and International Jus- boundary of the North Division then ex- grimage spot in North Division. It’s a tice Mission who provide medical treat- tended from the north boundary of Cal- great milestone in the cultural history of ment, rehabilitation, spread awareness of cutta to Mechuabazar Street in the south. India where Sri Ramakrishna Paramhan- AIDS, and educate the children of sex The order also said that the North Divi- shadev was shifted from his Shyampukur workers. sion would comprise Sections A to F. residence to recuperate. Cossipore North Division has some important ‘her- Inspector Lamb was appointed in 1872 Udyanbati celebrates 1 January every itage’ educational institutions like Science as the Superintendent of Police of North year as ‘Kalpataru Divas’. On this day College, Rabindra Bharati University, Division. His salary: Rs350 with Rs50 as more than 100,000 devotees assemble at Vidyasagar College, Bethune School and horse allowance, rising to a maximum of Udyanbati to pay homage to Ramakr- Rs450. ishna Paramhanshadev. Special police College, and Scottish Church School and arrangements are made to ensure that College. At present the North Division comprises the gathering is properly managed. eight Police Stations with a total area of The buildings of Burtolla and Shyam- 21 sq. km and a population of about The oldest red-light area known Son- pukur Police Stations are wonderful ex- 2.625 million. A Deputy Commissioner of agachi is situated under Burtolla Police amples of old colonial buildings and Police supervises the Police administra- Station. Policing at Sonagachi presents have been declared as heritage buildings tion of North Division. There are 3 Assis- multiple professional challenges. by KMC. On 28 June 2008, Md. Nashim (38), a resident of Topsia was prevented from committing suicide in front of Writers Buildings. While he was trying to immolate himself, the Radio Flying Squad (RFS) personnel of Kolkata Police, who were on duty nearby, stopped him and saved his life. P OLICE NEWS Cossipore’s ‘Udayanbati’ where Sri Ramakrishna Paramhanshadev stayed Jharkhand and found a major portion of NEWS: Events, Fighting the loot along with guns. Vigitha Shetty, a proclaimed offender, was arrested by the Bank Fraud Section, Crime & Achievements DD, from Mumbai after a pursuit lasting over six years since a case was registered against her. She had deceived Videsh San- Two cell phone snatchers were caught Department as well as the CBI for the char Nigam Ltd. by re-routing foreign by men of an RFS van on 8 June 2008. The past one year. calls through satellites, causing a loss of arrests came after Prasad Chatterjee com- Three gun-carrying criminals robbed a revenue worth Rs2 crore. plained that his cell phone was stolen. woman (owner of a Haldiram Bhuijawala On 15 May 2008, Rs4 lakh was robbed The officer and men of the RFS van, who shop) on CIT Road on the evening of 1 from the office of Everglow Investments were on duty at Park Circus’ 7-point cross- January 2004. The Anti-Dacoity and Rob- Pvt. Ltd. on Hazra Road. The Anti-Dacoity ing, quickly moved and arrested the two bery Squad, DD, arrested the three and and Robbery Squad, DD, arrested four snatchers – Sabir alias Bahera and Sk. submitted charge sheet against them. criminals and recovered more than half of Qurban from Suhrawardi Avenue. They After the trial, the 3rd Fast Track Court the stolen amount. found three cell phones on the two. sentenced all of them to 8 years of rigor- A man snatched Babulal Agarwal’s ous imprisonment. Indrajit Chatterjee and his wife leather folio bag on 24 June 2008 on M.G. Rashika Chatterjee had defrauded several On 24 June 2008, Chandrakala Lamb- Road near Pagaya Patti. The bag con- nationalized banks of approximately horia of Burdwan Road was robbed of tained Rs1,35,000 in cash, a cheque book, Rs10 crore. Finally, the Bank Fraud Sec- gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs10 and other papers. The Watch Section of tion of the Detective Department was lakh at gunpoint. Officers of the Anti-Da- DD identified the criminal and arrested successful in arresting the two. The cou- coity and Robbery Squad, DD arrested six him. The stolen money and the papers ple had evaded arrest from the Detective persons from different parts of Bihar and were recovered later. COMMANDO KP SPORTS: The Inter-unit Rugby tournament final, held on 14 June TRAINING: Re- at Bodyguard Lines, saw the Traffic Police team emerge champions cently, a team after it defeated the combined team of 2nd Battalion and 8th Bat- of 20 sepoys talion of KAP. from the Spe- Twenty units of Kolkata Police participated in the Inter-unit Table cialized Force Tennis Tournament at Bodyguard Lines on 3 June. Sgt. Krish- of Kolkata Po- nendu Majumder of TP became the lice success- singles cham- fully completed the 12-week-long Police Commando Instructor pion. Mr V Goyal, Course-31 at NSG Training Centre, Manesar, Haryana, with several D.C. HQ, won the Central and State police organizations. Kolkata Police’s team was first place in a declared the ‘best team’. Of the 186 selected from the various po- table-tennis lice organizations, S/-AF-9855 Binod Pradhan and S/-AF-9851 competition of Sushanta Mondol of Kolkata police won the ‘Best in Field’ and the superior officers ‘Second Best in Field’ awards, respectively. of Kolkata Police. K OLKATA P OLICE NEWS COMMUNITY POLICING WEEK-LONG PROGRAMME Workshop on drama: The Community its units and issues that concern citizens.