Tackle The Wave Of Crime Amid The Pandemic

Context: There is a need to strictly check the rising wave of crimes amid the pandemic.

Rising crimes amid pandemic:

• Incidents of Black-marketing and Profiteering:
  • Remdesivir injection in Delhi costed for Rs 70,000 as against its normal cost of about Rs 4,000.
  • A hospital bed in Bengaluru was being sold for Rs 1.20 lakh.
  • An oxygen concentrator costing less than Rs 50,000 is being sold for about Rs 1.50 lakh.
  • Selling of old dirty gloves by just washing them with water or the making of RT- PCR kits with dirty hands.
  • Looting cash and jewellery from dead bodies in hospitals or the fleecing of people at cremation grounds.
• Duping over social media: Some social media criminals are offering all kinds of help, including plasma donation.
  • However, are committing cybercrime by demanding money digitally at the last moment and then siphoning off the money from the bank accounts of victims after getting the credit card details.
• Flouting of Covid norms: In the legislature, many politicians are flouting Covid safety protocols by holding or attending big wedding receptions and rallies where masks and social distancing go for a toss.
  • Many states allowed big religious gatherings like the Kumbh Mela or funeral processions like the one noticed at Badaun in Uttar Pradesh.
  • The Madras High Court had recently asked why EC should not be charged with murder for not banning election rallies during the pandemic.
• Lack of accountability: Enough testing and tracing are not being done because there are an inadequate number of labs.
  • The worst is the concealing of the correct information about the number of cases and deaths by the states.
  • The Allahabad High Court has called the deaths due to the unavailability of medical help as ‘genocide’.

Way Forward: Strong action needs to be taken against all criminals from all fields as per the law.

• Enforcing the National Security Act (NSA).
• Bring in new laws: Where there is no law or inadequate law
  • Such crimes should be made non-bailable offences.
  • Fast investigation and fast-track courts should be formed and exemplary punishment given.
  • The properties of the guilty should be confiscated as per the provisions built into these laws.
  • Rewards to whistleblowers should be included in the new laws.
  • Enlarging the scope of Drugs & Cosmetics (Amendment) Act, 2008, which is currently restricted to drugs.
• Social Boycott: Such criminals should be socially boycotted by extensively naming and shaming them.
  • As a society, we should learn from countries like Japan that are at their best behaviour during tragedies.