TimesView Big events like Muharram cannot be an excuse for lack of policing. Not only have police failed to crack the cases, in few cases cops initially tried to water down the incidents or refused to register a case. What is lacking is professionalism and planning. With such an attitude how will police handle city's law and order particularly during the upcoming festival season LUCKNOW: There has been a sudden spurt in crime in city with three gruesome murders, two loot incidents, four thefts and two brawls being reported in last seven days. Moreover, while none of the cases have been cracked so far when police officials of the areas where the crimes took place were questioned, they said that they could not spare time for investigation as they were busy in Muharram duty.Almost a week has passed but police officials failed to crack the murder of Virendra Gautam who was allegedly killed and then hanged from a tree. Police had first termed the death as suicide and registered a case of murder when the family put pressure. “We have got some clues and the case would be worked out soon,” said SHO Indiranagar Mukul Verma.Similarly, in Madiaon, police first tried to pass murder of Jaganath as suicide. It was only when his relatives met senior police officials that an FIR of murder was registered against unidentified persons.SHO Madiaon Pradeep Kumar Singh said that investigation is under way. “We have law and order duties also along with crime investigation. Probe will be completed within the stipulated time period of 90 days,” said Singh.The daring murder in PGI police station area in which bank cashier Rahul Singh was shot dead is also unsolved. “The murder is a blind case and those named by father of the deceased were found to have no motive to kill him. We still don’t have any evidence against them,” said CO Cantonment Tanu Upadhyaya. Hazratganj CO Abhay Mishra said, “We are facing difficulties in gathering clues because no CCTVs are installed in the area.”The loot case in Chowk in the purse of a housewife, Krishna Kumari, containing Rs 28,000 in cash was snatched by unidentified miscreants is also yet to be solved. Chowk police initially did not register any case. Police registered a case when Krishna Kumari met the CO and showed him CCTV footage. SSP Kalanidhi Naithani admitted that Muharram and Ganesh Chaturthi have kept police occupied. “I will review reasons for pendency after Muharram,” said Naithani.

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