Pune, known as the Oxford of the East, is facing a rising issue with the misuse of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The police have been invoking this stringent law in cases of chain snatchings and fights, but the accused are not taking it seriously. Despite the police’s efforts to crack down on criminals, the courts have been granting bail to as many as 801 MCOCA accused in the past five years.
Local goons in the city have been terrorising people by posing as “bhai”, damaging vehicles, brandishing weapons in public, and extorting money from innocent citizens. What’s even more alarming is the increasing involvement of minors in these criminal activities. Unfortunately, minors cannot be booked under the MCOCA and often receive bail early, allowing local criminal gangs to take advantage of their vulnerability and recruit them into their illicit activities.
While the police may view invoking the MCOCA as a quick fix to combat crime, the reality is that the law is often misapplied in minor offences, leading to the failure of proving the seriousness of the crimes in court. This loophole has resulted in accused individuals getting bail and continuing their criminal activities.
According to criminal lawyer Adv Vijaysinh Thombre, the MCOCA should only be applied in cases where there is clear evidence of organised crime, financial dealings, and the use of illegal funds to support criminal syndicates. However, some police officials misuse the provisions of the Act to keep accused individuals behind bars without proper justification.
In conclusion, the misuse of the MCOCA in Pune has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the law in curbing organised crime. It is essential for law enforcement agencies to ensure that the Act is applied judiciously and in cases where there is concrete evidence of criminal activities, rather than as a tool to simply detain individuals without due process.
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