HYDERABAD: Traders and businessmen have expressed grave concern over a rising wave of street crime and extortion in the commercial areas of Hyderabad, warning that they will take to the streets if their long-standing demand for better policing remains unmet.

Speaking to journalists at a press conference at the press club on Thursday, Hyderabad Anjuman-i-Tajiran president Saleem Hussain Vohra and office-bearers of other trade bodies from across the district warned the police that if street crimes such as muggings and robberies in commercial areas including cloth market, Anaj Mandi, Latifabad No 8, Gul Centre, Chandni, Market Tower and Qasimabad were not controlled within three days, they would together with other stakeholders formulate a strategy by themselves which might include protest demonstrations, sit-ins and strikes.

The traders said that they were tired of asking help from the police who, according to them, did not take any action against criminals and armed bandits who took away their belongings at gunpoint, be it day or night. They said that when traders approached the police with extortion slips the SHOs and SSPs concerned failed to provide protection to them and arrest the culprits.

They said that when they requested for deployment of police in markets, they were told that there was not enough manpower since policemen were on VIP duties. They also said that these officials did not attend phone calls of complainants and their landlines remained unattended for hours on end.

Traders believed that SHOs and DSPs posted or transferred to Hyderabad were unaware of how the city functioned. They alleged that many SHOs and SDPOs also took colossal bribes from criminals persons and this was why there was no let-up in the crime rate.

They said that traders paid billions of rupees in taxes but were neglected and their issues were not resolved. They said that there was not a single market in Hyderabad where businessmen were not sick and tired of crime.

Traders said that they were being forced to shift their businesses to other cities or countries because of the deteriorating law and order and the spate of crimes in Hyderabad. They said that the police were conducting crackdowns on prostitution dens, gutka and mainpuri dealers, liquor and drug smugglers but were not arresting organised criminals and extortionists.

They called on Hyderabad DIG M. Akram Naeem Bharoka to negotiate with them to resolve the issue while claiming that Hyderabad SSP Saqib Ismail Memon seemed to be helpless to transfer SHOs and SDPOs with strong political support.

This was why, they said, they would boycott a meeting called on Friday by the SSP to review law and order arrangements in Ramazan.

Leaders of traders’ bodies criticised the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) whose office-bearers had recently lauded the services of Hyderabad police. They said that the HCCI should not praise a police force which had totally failed to curb the current wave of street crime.

However, an HCCI delegation met the Hyderabad SSP separately in his office and apprised him of the worsening law and order situation. They demanded protection for businessmen while the SSP assured them of controlling the crime rate.

Meanwhile, scores of traders held a sit-in outside the press club and chanted slogans against the Hyderabad police. Muttahida Qaumi Movement MNA Syed Waseem Hussain and Hyderabad SSP Saqib Ismail Memon came and assured them of making efforts to resolve their problems.