Even though the State of Jammu & Kashmir is witnessing a gradual decline in the incidents of militant related violence in the State but at the same time the graph of criminal cases is recording a northward trend under the rule of Omar Abdullah-led coalition Government for last three years.
A report prepared by the State Home department has revealed that in the year 2010 a total number of 25,272 criminal cases were registered across the State. In 2011 26,590 cases were registered and in 2012 the total criminal cases registered across the State stood at 26,558.
On an average 69 criminal cases per day were registered in the State in 2010 and in 2012, 73 criminal cases were registered in the State, the report said.
Interestingly, the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar recorded maximum number of criminal cases as compared to other urban/rural centres in the State.
Around 42,66 cases were registered in Jammu district in 2010, 4,383 in 2011 and 4,432 in 2012 averaging 11-12 cases a day.
In case of Srinagar, 2,880 criminal cases were registered in 2010, 3,029 in 2011 and 2,920 in 2012, averaging 7-8 cases per day, the Home department report said.
According to the report, the Jammu province recorded 39,122 cases between 2010-2012 while Kashmir province recorded 38,296 criminal cases during the same period.
Hilly district of Kishtwar in Jammu province recorded minimum number of cases as compared to other districts in the State. Only 358 cases were recorded in Kishtwar in 2010, 440 in 2011 and 438 in 2012.
According to the report of the Home Department, the total number of cases chargesheeted in 2010 were 17,205 averaging 47 cases per day. In 2011, 22,014 cases were chargesheeted while 21,357 cases were chargesheeted in 2012 across the State.
According to the report, “one third cases remain under investigation at the end of the year in the State”. Around 11,886 cases were under investigation in 2010, 10,131 in 2011 and 9,719 in 2012.
The report said though efforts are made to conclude investigations in a time bound manner and produce the challan in the concerned courts, however, in some cases, the delay is caused due to factors like non-receipt of medical opinion, Forensic Science lab or postmortem reports in time. The report said a
number of cases which have been concluded as challaned are pending production
before the court of law due to non-presence of the
accused persons.
Crime review meetings are held police station wise by the concerned supervisory officers to ensure speedy disposal of under investigation cases, the report concluded.