June 3 2004
A number of years ago when I lived in Syracuse in upstate New York, I used to enjoy reading a section of the local paper called the "Police Blotter" in which they would list small infractions of the kind "Mr XYZ was caught double parking his car on Salina Street". Most Indian newspapers have similar sections but the kinds of crimes described in them are a little different. Here is a little gem that I found in the Hyderabad Deccan Herald about a kidnapping attempt gone bad.
In any American local
newspaper, this intriguing story about two hapless teenage kidnappers
would have received a five column front-page item. However, compared to
most American cities, Hyderabad is a frantic place. With a few million
people and a million things going on, even a story like this does not
get the attention it deserves. How long was the child held by the kidnappers? What kind of a people were the kidnappers? Were they just looking for a few easy bucks or were they hardened juvenile delinquents. Did the child's parent notify the police? How did they communicate with the kidnappers? One can only speculate.
One of the really frustrating things about Indian newspapers is the lack of follow up for stories like these. Perhaps this is where blogs can help.
Text Copyright © 2004 Rangachari Anand, all rights reserved