Ravulapati Seetaramarao

Ourancestors used to talk about the ages. They said that in the Treta Yuga dharma stood on four legs, in Dwapara Yuga the number of legs decreased, and in Kali Yuga dharma almost lost its footing — elders would say this and people used to laugh. But looking at the crime-filled times that are spreading now, it feels as if our ancestors, with uncanny insight, were foretelling the future: “dharma will wither in the Kali Yuga.” How true is that?

A reader going through newspapers would be left with no doubt that dharma has largely gone astray — it is a sickening, nauseating feeling. In one village, people who had regarded a poor man as a benevolent trustee were stunned when a police investigation revealed that he was a criminal who had been stealing the trust’s assets; they were speechless and later felt they had no option but to cut him off completely. But an old man in that village, who was in the twilight of his life, did not show surprise—he muttered to himself, “It is the age of Kali,” and accepted it.

In a small village of Uttar Pradesh, one Vikas Singh Thagor, known to be a modern Robin Hood, spent many years helping the poor as if it were a gift from God. He lovingly gave schoolbags to children who couldn’t afford them. He helped the most disadvantaged in the village with money when they were in trouble. He even paid for luxury trips for his friends. Wherever he traveled, he flew and stayed in big hotels. For a man like that, how devastating it must have been to be caught in Manikanta Nagar colony in Vikarabad, and then after a police investigation that exposed him as Raju–Peda Double Roll—be forced to account for every penny? The poor villagers in UP and his friends must have been crushed by disappointment, while the police were elated at having caught a major thief.

Fate plays strange games. When a person’s life is portrayed on film in a sensational way that makes theatre audiences gasp, and then people in real life encounter such a figure, the police warning that “this could be a fraud” becomes terrifying. When someone with a criminal past is finally caught, the old guard comforts that justice still moves forward.

In Telangana he posed as a labourer. Going from colony to colony pretending to be a worker, he noted which houses were locked. At night he looted many of those locked homes, and with the money he stole he returned to his village in UP and, without asking anyone, provided financial help to his friends, the poor and to children, living a life of luxury. That was Vikas Singh Thakur —who lost his freedom after he was trapped by the police. He confessed that he had stolen about 1.57 kg of gold, 2.56 kg of silver and cash totaling Rs 8.22 lakh. He began stealing at the age of 16 and built a notorious record: 34 cases in police books, which makes for a remarkable criminal history. Now, after Vikarabad police investigations, his number of thefts has risen to 61. In Sultanpur district, four gold traders aided him, taking the stolen jewellery, giving him a share and even lending money when heneeded it. He gave the gold to them through his mother. If a mother does not stop her son from stealing vegetables, she must bear some responsibility for the history that follows. This episode almost feels like a moral drama playing out in real life. The Vikarabad police and higher authorities must be commended for bringing Vikas Thakur’s career to account.

In another incident, white-collared criminals who had expanded the marijuana trade all the way to Thailand were arrested by the newly formed “Eagle Force” (a police unit), writing new pages in history! They used 300 vehicles, made 405 flight bookings, and spent lakhs on flights alone. They landed in Thailand with wine and water facilities, spent nearly Rs three crore, and were trying to set up a “Pattaya-style” nightclub in Kokapet area of Hyderabad when the police caught them during a sting! Forty people operate in this network. Many have been arrested. Hemang Pramod Kelsukar and Sudhansh Pramod Kelsukar (both from Mumbai) were running the gang. Operating since around 2023, they had established links across Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, among other states, running this drug operation in a highly organized manner — until police surveillance exposed it. People are very pleased that Eagle Force and senior officers, through hard, painstaking work, successfully caught such big time criminals.

On the same page is the news that Dilshuknagar police caught international cannabis smugglers from Odisha while they were selling the drug. Ramesh Bandam and Nirmal Chhatriya were arrested. These are brazen, clever thefts — frauds carried out to deceive officials and cover their tracks — and this criminal experiment to trick authorities also makes the headlines in newspapers!

Cyberabad police warned people to be careful of such criminals and revealed their tactics. Posing as employees of the Metropolitan Water Works, they were sending WhatsApp messages to residents in some areas saying that their water bill was unpaid and the connection would be disconnected — a ploy to extort money. Although the identities of those involved haven’t been reported in the news, this warning makes it clear that Hyderabad residents must stay on guard. Any reader who goes through this page of varied crime reports can’t help but exclaim, “Good heavens!” But learning that the police are making proper efforts to catch and control crime makes it worth sharing these details. It always seems that police failures make the headlines — their successful work rarely does. In times like these, elders say, righteousness — whether small or great — inevitably endures.

Scientific investigation is making tremendous inroads into the methods of hardened criminals. CC cameras, WhatsApp messages, telephonic conversations, and a watch on hardened criminals outside and inside jail see them as sitting ducks. Let people encourage not only Telangana police but the firmament in our country to continue similar efforts to ensure people lead happy lives, safe, and secure.

(The writer is a retired IPS officer, who has served as an Additional DGP of Andhra Pradesh)