Cases of land disputes and consequential fight for it by both the sides keep Palamu police overworked and busy.
"Every second petition or complaint is invariably about land and its disputes here in Palamu" said the SP Reeshma Ramesan.
SP went on to say " Imagine a land dispute case is given a garb of an episode of pocso act. There used to come a mother and her class 10 daughter and one day the daughter argued with me telling me that she is a minor, she has been teased by the opponent of the land."
"We know from where the wisdom comes to frame a land dispute case as under the Pocso act." reiterated the SP.
Police tread cautiously as matters to land dispute if settled by the court go either way then the police role or action comes under scrutiny Reeshma Ramesan reminded.
Parties in land disputes try to pressure police to be partisan which is spurned by the police, added the SP.
Police have virtually no locus standi in land disputes except where public tranquillity is under threat and to enforce public order police seek prohibitory orders under section 107 to restrain both the sides from taking law into their hands.
Cases are of pathways, encroachment, possession by foul means. Attempts to steal rights to hold land are also enormous.
Reeshma Ramesan said property division is a major triggering point of escalation to family feud. There is no property division where peace has not become fragile or broken down.
Again marital discord is plaguing the family most here opined the SP. Husband and wife are at loggerheads.
Sources said the month of May saw an explosion of bloodied quarrel and fight over a piece of land here in Palamu where each of the two sides bayed for the blood of others. Killing of father or mother all for land is no alien thing here to Palamu.
Reeshma Ramesan said only this morning there came information about a fight over land in Panki where it was alleged firearms were used but police didn't find any trace of shoot out as there was no empty cartridge around.
