Maharashtra govt sets up vigilance panel for jewellers

The Maharashtra state home department has decided to set up a state-level vigilance committee comprising members of the jewellers’ fraternity. The decision was taken at a meeting between the home minister, RR Patil, with the top brass of the state police in Mumbai last week.

An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer attached to the Pune police told DNA that the home department has asked all police commissionerates in the state to recommend names of jewellers for the panel.

They should be members of the local association of jewellers and have a clean image.

According to the police sources, the Pune police commissionerate has already issued orders for taking steps in the matters.

The police sources said the panel would work in close coordination with the state police to tackle threats that the fraternity faces, such as demands for extortion, dacoity, theft of ornaments from shops, sale of stolen ornaments at jewellers’ shops and harassment by anti-socials.

“The panel would hold meetings with state police officials to keep the latter abreast of issues involving jewellers in the state,” the police sources added.

Such a panel already exists in the Nagpur police commissionerate.

Apparently encouraged by its results, the state home department wants similar panels at the state level.