Police play vigilante, arrest 85 for urination near heritage sites
JAIPUR: Police in the Walled City is not responsible for catching just thieves and murderers but also ensuring that there is law and order their jurisdiction. For the past few years, the cops there are also conserving the city's heritage and that too in a peculiar way -if they see someone urinating in public near the heritage sites, they take the person's photograph and arrest him. As many as 85 people were arrested for this crime last year alone.
Police said people peeing near heritage properties are embarrassing for the city's civic authorities. "Hawa Mahal, Sargasuli, Tal Katora and Govind Dev Ji temple are among some of the world famous heritage properties. People from all over the world come to visit them. It is quite embarrassing when the tourists see people peeing near these properties," Khiv Singh, ACP, Kotwali told TOI.
He further said the consequences of this practice go far beyond embarrassment. "These places look so dirty. They are horribly unhygienic and stink. Pedestrians have to avoid landing in puddles created by urine near these places. The civic authorities seek police's help to contain this problem as it is a crime as per the law," ACP, Manak Chowk, Alok Sharma said.
The officer said peeing at such heritage properties amount to defacement of public properties which is a crime. "It is punishable under sections of the Rajasthan Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act, 2006. The accused is photographed in the act as evidence, arrested and then immediately released on bail by the police. The person has to appear before the court which slaps a fine and lets him off," said the officer.
The officer added the police patrolling cars keep an eye on people urinating at public places in the Walled City. The photograph they take of the offender peeing is submitted in the court as evidence.
The officer said some people literally beg to let them go when they are caught. "However, we arrest the offenders. It is another thing that we have to release them on the spot after making him sign a bail bond. The concerning court summons these people and releases them after slapping fine," said the officer.
"We arrested 39 people in Kotwali circle alone last year. Another 45 people were arrested in Manak Chowk circle," said a senior police officer.
The lack of public toilets in the Walled City is a problem which leads to people peeing in open. "First, there are only a handful of public toilets. Second, the available ones are in such pathetic state that it seems they have not been cleaned for years. Urine spills out of them onto the roads," said another police officer asking anonymity
.
