Capital witnesses 68.62% spurt in crimes like rape, dacoity & murder
Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi’s standing order to go for free and fair registration is having its impact as the national Capital has witnessed a whopping 68.62 per cent increase in heinous crimes which include dacoity, murder, attempt to murder, robbery, riot, kidnapping for ransom and rape.
After Bassi took over on August 1, 2013, the cases have shot up to 73,958 till December 15, 2013. The figure may well cross 75,000 IPC cases till December 31, 2013 thus, signalling an unprecedented rise in the crime graph. There is a reason behind this sudden spurt, senior police officers say as Delhi Police has embarked on the drive to rein in criminals by registering cases and bringing them to justice. Non-registration of crime is not the solution since that emboldens criminals and puts citizens under threat, an officer said.
Delhi had registered a total of 64,882 cases under the various heads of Indian Penal Code (IPC) under the then Delhi Police Commissioner VN Singh who had ordered for free and fair registration of cases in 1998. The total IPC cases started dipping as his successor and other Police Commissioners put brakes on free and fair registration of cases. Even after 16 years, Delhi recorded a total number of 54,287 cases in 2012. There was a clear design to burke the crime rate and go slow on registration.
Data compiled by Delhi Police is quite an eye-opener as it shows remarkable increase in incidents of crime under all the heads even though murder is down to 487 in the current year as compared to 504 in 2012. Dacoity is up by 7.14 per cent as the figure stands at 30 in comparison to 28 in the corresponding year. Robbery is up by a staggering 92.2 per cent from 577 in 2012 to 1,109 in 2013. Riots too have gone up substantially from 74 in 2012 to 110 in 2013 thus, registering a 48.65 per cent increase.
Delhi Police registered 27 cases under kidnapping for ransom in 2013 compared to 20 cases in 2012. There has been an increase of 35 per cent, a Delhi Police official said.
Case of rape registered in 2013 may scare Delhiites as Delhi Police registered 1,559 cases till December 15, 2013 in comparison to 680 cases in 2012.
“It is not that Delhi has suddenly become unsafe for girls/women. There are standing orders from the Delhi Police Commissioner to register a case the moment a girl/woman lodges a complaint about sexual assault. Standard Operating Procedures are being followed before the investigation is taken up. We have solved 89.67 cases of rape and the accused are now cooling their heels in Tihar. Unless we register the cases, the severity of the crime and the factors responsible for such cases can not be analysed,” said a very senior Delhi Police officer.
There is no cause for alarm and continuous efforts are being made to police the national Capital and make it safe for girls/women, the officer added. As a matter of record 3,880 cases under the heinous head have been registered till December 15, 2013 against 2,301 in the year 2012.
“There has been a concerted effort to control street crimes such as snatching, extortion, hurt, motor vehicle thefts and burglary, even though the figures have registered an upward trend. Delhi Police registered 3,319 cases of snatching in 2013 till December 15 as compared to 1,371 in 2012. The increase in snatching cases has gone up to 142.09 per cent while burglary, extortion, hurt, house thefts and motor vehicle thefts are up by 52.8 per cent, 37.50 per cent, 0.47 per cent, 77.61 per cent and motor vehicle thefts by 2.03 per cent.