Thriving extortion racket
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 16, 2024 -

ARREST of seven persons, including a middle-aged woman on Monday from Langol area, on the charge of involvement in extortion activities, is confirmation about unscrupulous indolent elements exploiting the present unrest situation to reap financial gains, not through the conventional means but by coercion.

A joint team of state and central security forces rounding up seven members of a faction of the armed KCP and recovering arms and vehicles from them on Monday, also underscore that security agencies have cast the net wide aftermath of spike in extortion cases.

Disturbingly, apart from the 41-year old woman arrested, all the other six detainees are in their early or mid-20s, implying that armed groups running extortion rackets are luring the youth, apparently with the assurance of percentage share from the extracted amount.

According to Imphal West superintendent of police Ksh Shivakanta, police have started relevant process to initiate action under the National Security Act (NSA) against the arrested individuals and to hand over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Though process for punitive action under the provisions of NSA is understandable, the SP's inference for entrusting the NIA investigate into extortion cases is perplexing for such a move could be seen as either inefficiency of Manipur police in tackling the menace of extortion, which has seen sharp rise since outbreak of the Meetei-Kuki violence in May last year, or vindication of the public's apprehension about corruptible-personnel within the police organisation abetting crimes and providing logistic support to criminals as long as they receive their share of the loot.

In fact, the seven were netted within four days of the police department setting up special cell to efficiently investigate extortion cases and make the culprits repent for living under the impression that they could befool the law enforcement agencies or that those forced to part with their hard-earned money would forever remain silent.

No doubt, police have been periodically making arrests in follow-up action based on complaint reports related to extortion, often preceded by firing or placing explosives in case those who receive demand notes do not comply.

Taking into account of the fact that many armed groups are operating in the state and, it is not surprising that owners of palatial buildings and flourishing institutions, both government undertakings and privately run, are served demand notes as the perpetrators are fully aware that not many would decline their insistence to cough up certain amount and take the risk.

However, culprits already caught in the police net or those still evading arrest, should keep in mind that once the general population don the role of informer, extorters would have no room for escape.

While it is an open secret that extortion; which armed organisations waging movement against the establishment opt to call loyalty tax, remains one of the funding sources, not all the victims approach the police due to fear of reprisals.

As such, the police authorities should do the needful to convince the public that entertaining extortion demand would only encourage the same perpetrators to repeat the act; with fresh groups following suit to extract their share also a strong possibility.