In village with no doors, cops secure lock-up with nuts & bolts
In village with no doors, cops secure lock-up with nuts & bolts
A
newly inaugurated police station in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar has a
lock-up which uses nuts and bolts instead of the usual aldrop. This is
in tune with the local tradition of not using locks and doors, as
residents believe that Shani, the presiding deity of the area, looks
after them.
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Shani
Shinganapur: Shani Shinganapur village in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar is
known for its age-old tradition of having houses without doors and locks
because of the belief that presiding deity, Shani, is going to watch
over them.
In keeping with this tradition, even the newly-inaugurated police station in the village has a lock-up which uses nuts and bolts instead of the usual aldrop.
The police station, which is barely a stone's throw from the Shani temple, has a jurisdiction over nine villages, including Shani Shinganapur.
It has registered 15 crimes in less than three months since its inauguration. Sources said that some of the registered cases are serious offences. Interestingly, Shani Shinganapur has not reported a single housebreaking case till date.
Police sub-inspector Vaibhav Pethkar said they had mulled over the design of the lock-up before finalising the locking system.
"We did not want to compromise on the security of the lock-up but we also had to follow the local tradition. The fabrication artists were well aware of the difficulty we were facing and suggested using the nut-bolt arrangement instead of the conventional locking system," he said.
Maharashtra minister of state for home Ram Shinde inaugurated the police station on September 3.
The unique lock-up has a 10 ft by 12 ft railing that can easily slide. At one end, there are nuts and bolts. The spanner required for tightening the nuts and bolts is kept at safe place.
"The lock-up has been set up exactly opposite the seat of the police station chief. This ensures a tight vigil. No untoward incident related to the lock-up system has been recorded so far. We are confident that it would be a safe place to lodge criminals," Pethkar said.
Not just the lock-up, the entire police station does not have door aldrops. Only railings have been put up at the entry and exit points.
Assistant police inspector P S Mandale said serious crimes are routine in their jurisdiction. Barring Shani Shinganapur, all types of crimes take place in other villages.
"The unconventional lock-up at our police station is still the safest place to house criminals," he said.
Anti-superstition activists have criticized the government for succumbing to pressure from villagers and deviating from security norms while setting up the police station.
"The chief minister (who heads the home department) should answer whether he wants to run the government according to rules or following superstition,'' said Avinash Patil, executive president of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti.
"It is ridiculous and outrageous that a police station should stick to such beliefs and, in a way, promote it.''
Shani Shinganapur sarpanch Balasaheb Bankar said his village has been progressing because of its faith in the Shani deity and would continue to do so for generations to come.
In keeping with this tradition, even the newly-inaugurated police station in the village has a lock-up which uses nuts and bolts instead of the usual aldrop.
The police station, which is barely a stone's throw from the Shani temple, has a jurisdiction over nine villages, including Shani Shinganapur.
It has registered 15 crimes in less than three months since its inauguration. Sources said that some of the registered cases are serious offences. Interestingly, Shani Shinganapur has not reported a single housebreaking case till date.
Police sub-inspector Vaibhav Pethkar said they had mulled over the design of the lock-up before finalising the locking system.
"We did not want to compromise on the security of the lock-up but we also had to follow the local tradition. The fabrication artists were well aware of the difficulty we were facing and suggested using the nut-bolt arrangement instead of the conventional locking system," he said.
Maharashtra minister of state for home Ram Shinde inaugurated the police station on September 3.
The unique lock-up has a 10 ft by 12 ft railing that can easily slide. At one end, there are nuts and bolts. The spanner required for tightening the nuts and bolts is kept at safe place.
"The lock-up has been set up exactly opposite the seat of the police station chief. This ensures a tight vigil. No untoward incident related to the lock-up system has been recorded so far. We are confident that it would be a safe place to lodge criminals," Pethkar said.
Not just the lock-up, the entire police station does not have door aldrops. Only railings have been put up at the entry and exit points.
Assistant police inspector P S Mandale said serious crimes are routine in their jurisdiction. Barring Shani Shinganapur, all types of crimes take place in other villages.
"The unconventional lock-up at our police station is still the safest place to house criminals," he said.
Anti-superstition activists have criticized the government for succumbing to pressure from villagers and deviating from security norms while setting up the police station.
"The chief minister (who heads the home department) should answer whether he wants to run the government according to rules or following superstition,'' said Avinash Patil, executive president of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti.
"It is ridiculous and outrageous that a police station should stick to such beliefs and, in a way, promote it.''
Shani Shinganapur sarpanch Balasaheb Bankar said his village has been progressing because of its faith in the Shani deity and would continue to do so for generations to come.
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