Even after the launch of Operation Kaval, a special drive to net goons, the entry of new gangs with their suspected links to smugglers and drug carries has surfaced as a challenge for the city and rural police in Kozhikode district. Though more than 50 persons have already been identified under the special drive to tackle the goonda menace, the entry of those who are not figured in the surveillance list is reportedly giving a tough time to the local police.
Within the past three months, there were seven major incidents in which gangs of goons unleashed attacks in public. Though the majority of them were found to have links with smugglers’ rackets, no one has been arrested so far.
A matter of concern is the possession of many lethal weapons, including guns, by such gangs. There were even incidents in which such gangs dared to set ablaze shops and make death threats in public. Even differences of opinion related to marriages were found attracting involvement of quotation gangs.
“Though the police claim the arrest of notorious criminal gangs, many are still at large. The northern Kerala region has the lowest number of criminals arrested under Operation Kaval,” said a human rights activist from Kozhikode district. He also said that the drive actually drew the wrath of many social activists after they were approached by the local police in the name of address verification and data collection.
According to police sources, the formation of fresh gangs mostly comprising youngsters was continuing to be a challenge across the State even after updating the goonda list by adding 557 new names.
Latest incidents
In Kozhikode city, the latest incident of goonda attack took place on Sunday night in which a youth was hacked by a six-member gang following a suspected row over narcotic smuggling. The police could not track the gang. In another incident, a three-member gang with guns attacked a film producer at Balussery in Kozhikode rural area last Saturday.
