Wednesday, March 30 2005 13:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Patna High Court today (Mar 30, 2005) ordered withdrawal of bodyguards provided to people having criminal antecedents even as the director general of police Narayan Mishra submitted before it the action taken report in connection with the execution of warrants of arrest against absconders in Bihar.

The division bench comprising acting chief justice Nagendra Rai and justice S N Hussain directed the DGP, who was present in the court, to take steps for withdrawal of bodyguards provided to those who were charged with involvement in criminal activities.

The bench also agreed to suggestion of the DGP to withdraw the bodyguards of politicians after a thorough review.

The court noted with satisfaction the stepped up operations being carried out by the police to execute the arrest warrants against the absconders.

While filing an action taken report in the wake of the court's directive to put the absconders behind bars and report to it today, the DGP informed the bench that 12,647 such persons, including 570 dreaded ones, were taken into custody, while 9,112 offenders gave themselves up before the courts as police stepped up operations against criminals.

Mishra said that the courts also recalled warrants of arrest in 7801 cases and 18,318 warrants of arrest were pending execution till now for which operations were being carried out.