CCTVs warn criminals of approaching police

Hyderabad: Hardened criminals are coming up with novel ways of eluding the police. From installing CCTV cameras that alert them when the cops are approaching, to threatening to sue them, these criminals go to any lengths to avoid being nabbed.

The police, thus has to wait for these criminals to emerge from their dens to arrest them.

There was the recent case of Mir Khazam Ali Khan, alias Khaju, a burglar involved in about 14 cases, who had installed CCTV cameras in his house to keep a watch on the police. Khan, who posed as an electrician and burgled houses, would be alerted by the cameras and flee when cops would go to arrest him.

"When our teams go to arrest the criminals, alerted by the CCTV cameras, they escape, and we are told that they are not in home. Some time back, our team was also attacked with chilli powder when it went to nab a notorious house burglar. Since anyone can get a surveillance camera fixed, the crooks are misusing the technology," said an official from the Mailerdevpally police station, who arrested the notorious burglar Khaleefa whose house was also equipped with cameras.

Many criminals also have the full support of their families. Khazam Khan’s sister Fathima Kausar is a practising advocate in the AP High Court and his father is a retired Central Force employee. Thus each time the cops went to nab him, his family threatened them with filing petitions in the court against them, due to which the cops stepped back.

"Using these techniques, they may be free for some time, but all their movements are checked. But until they come out of their shelters, we are helpless," said B. Ramesh, inspector of Police, Mailerdevpally.